No Stranger to the Rain
by rachmarie150
Summary: Post-Watershed. What did Kate say to Rick's proposal? Did she take the job in DC? This story continues on from the finale. *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, ya'll! I'm back with another fanfiction! And this time, it's a multi-chapter! Yay! (applause applause)**

**Okay anyway, this is my first semi-angsty fic. Don't worry, it's not like THE WHOLE WORLD GETS BLOWN UP EVERYONE DIES kind of angst. It's pretty light… I don't even know if I would consider it angst. Well anyway, here you go!**

**To everyone that's supported me in my stories in the past, thank you! I send you all love and hugs. Especially my girl Sheridan. Love you! (:**

**Disclaimer: If I owned this show I wouldn't be such an obsessed fangirl.**

* * *

"Whatever happens, and whatever you decide, Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"

* * *

She said no.

Well, her words weren't exactly "no". They were "I don't think we can do this, Rick. I took the job. I leave tomorrow. I'm sorry."

He tried. He told her that he would move with her. He wanted to accommodate. He wanted to be her fiancé.

But she told him no. She didn't want him to have to uproot for her. She told him that he deserved better. He tried so hard to explain to her that _she_ was the best thing that's ever happened to him, but she wouldn't listen.

So, she left. She went to DC. She left him.

Stood up off of the swing and left him there, on one knee. Got in her car and drove away.

He thought things were going so well for them. They had been partners for the past five years, and had been in a relationship for the past one. He thought she was his always. He thought he was her one and done. She told him she loved him.

Did she even mean it?

* * *

Rick sits in bed at 2:17 AM, typing away at the keys of his laptop, trying to finish the fifth and final Nikki Heat book, Deadly Heat.

It's been eight days since Kate rejected him.

In the days that have passed since, Rick hasn't left the house. He's barely even left his bedroom.

Everyone tried to get him out, but did not succeed. Martha tried to get him to go to the Hamptons with her but failed. Alexis tried to get him to go to dinner or at least on a walk with her, but failed. Esposito and Ryan even tried to get him to let them come over and play Xbox with him, but they failed, too.

Everyone was starting to worry about him. They all knew how much he loved Kate. No one knew exactly what had happened, because Rick wouldn't talk about it. They obviously knew that she had said rejected his proposal and left, though.

He was so depressed.

The only time he got out of bed was to get food or go to the bathroom. When was the last time he even took a shower? He didn't remember and he didn't care. He didn't have his showering partner anymore. He didn't have his little spoon in bed. He felt like he had a big hole in his life now. Everything reminded him of her. He hated it. He just wanted her back.

* * *

She was nervous. She was really, really nervous. What was he going to say? What was he going to do? Did he even care anymore? She doubted it. She figured that he had had enough of her shit. She broke his heart too many times. He was done. She knew he was.

If he cared, he would've called. He would've made an effort.

"It's just like the summer he went to the Hamptons and the summer you were shot. You could've made an effort too, Kate." she scolds herself.

She replayed her plan in her head over and over again. It wasn't going to work. It was stupid.

"Why did you have to screw this up, Kate? Why couldn't you just let yourself be happy?"

But she was happy, right? She worked for the FBI. She lived in DC. She had one of the best jobs in the force. She deserved it. Because she was one the best detectives in the NYPD, and someone important had finally noticed her hard work, her dedication. So yes, she should be happy.

But she wasn't.

She wiped the tear from her face and took a deep breath. Instead of following through with her plan, she decided to text him. Maybe that would work.

* * *

As he ended the last sentence of his paragraph, he saved his work and closed his laptop. As he slid the laptop into the black sleeve, his phone chimed. Startled and curious as to who would be texting him this late into the night, he picked up his phone. His breath hitched when he saw the screen.

1 New Message: Kate

They hadn't spoken since the day on the swings. The day that he popped the question. The day she rejected him. The day she left. He put in his pass code to unlock his phone and read the message.

"Hey. I sent a box a few days ago with your stuff in it to the loft. It should be there by now. Have you gotten it?"

His heart dropped. His stuff. She had things of his at her apartment and she didn't want any of it. She didn't want anything to do with him.

He didn't know what to do. She was texting him so casually, as if nothing was wrong. As if nothing had changed.

His fingers involuntarily typed a response, "Haven't checked today. I'll go look now."

He locked his phone, threw off the covers, and walked through the loft to the door.

Meanwhile, Kate's stomach dropped as she received his message. She took a deep breath.

Rick made his way to the door. Unlocking it, he swung it open, fixing his eyes on the floor, looking for a brown cardboard box. He was stunned to see that there wasn't a package at his front door; there were a pair of feet. Slowly looking up, he noticed that there was a person at his door. He knew those slender legs, slim torso, and beautiful brown locks.

"Kate," he choked out.

"Hi, Rick," she replied in a whisper.

* * *

**So… I really have no idea how I'm going to continue on with this story. I have the next chapter planned out but that's about it. Help me out! Leave me suggestions in the reviews! **

**(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**WOW! Thank you to everyone that has followed, favorited, or reviewed this story! I have been so overwhelmed by the love you guys have for it!**

**To be completely honest, I'm very nervous about this chapter. A lot of the reviews were like, "I hope you can pull it off," and "I hope it turns out good," and stuff like that. NO PRESSURE.**

**OKAY, SO WHO SAW THE SPOILERS YESTERDAY!? I AM SO HAPPY AND EXCITED AND OMG SEPTEMBER COME QUICKLY! Honestly, the spoilers were so perfect that they made me want to give up on this fic, but you guys wanted more, so I'll give you more!(: **

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, blah blah blah.**

* * *

_Previously…_

_Rick made his way to the door. Unlocking it, he swung it open, fixing his eyes on the floor, looking for a brown cardboard box. He was stunned to see that there wasn't a package at his front door; there were a pair of feet. Slowly looking up, he noticed that there was a person at his door. He knew those slender legs, slim torso, and beautiful brown locks. _

_"Kate," he choked out. _

_"Hi, Rick," she replied in a whisper._

* * *

"I... you... what are you doing here?" Rick asked, dumbfounded.

"I've given up the job in DC," she replied, choked up. "I'm back in New York for good. I'm back for you."

His heart warmed at her words. She was back for him? She_ did_ want to marry him?

"Whoa, Castle. Hold on there, big boy. She left you. She needs to have a better explanation than that," he thought to himself.

"Uh, why don't you come inside? Did you actually have a box of my stuff to give me?" he asked, still a bit shocked.

"Nope, just me. I thought I was part of 'your stuff', Rick." Kate replied with a slight smirk.

His stomach flipped. This was going to be a lot harder to talk about if she kept acting like this. He ignored her comment and led her to the couch. He sat down slowly and she followed.

He took a deep breath before letting his thoughts pour out of him. "Why did you come back, Kate?"

She sighed and the smirk dropped from her face. She knew exactly where this conversation was going.

"I already told you, Rick, I came back for you."

Looking back on his feelings of the past week, his words came out with a more of a bitter tone than he wanted.

"Really, are you sure about that, Kate? Because when I proposed, it seemed like a good time to just get up and leave, at least to you. Did you even care about us? Did you even want to be in a relationship, or was it just convenient, like Demming and Josh? I was in it because I loved you, Kate. And ever since you rejected me I haven't left the house, I've sat in my room and done nothing, because I was too depressed that I let the one person that I was really in love with get away!"

Castle's voice got progressively louder and louder as he let out his frustration. Once he was done, he looked up to see Kate wiping her eyes. She was crying. Shit, way to go, Rick. He wanted to tell her how he felt but he didn't want to make her cry.

Kate took a deep breath before replying softly, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. All you've ever done is love me and I've put you through so much hell. When you proposed, I thought it was too early for us to be engaged, but then once I got to DC, I realized how much I missed you and how much of an idiot I was for leaving you. Now more than ever I realize that I should've said yes. I should've stayed with you Rick, because I love you. You make me so happy and you're the only man that I've ever been able to admit that I loved besides my dad. You've changed something in me, ignited some spark that has never been there. The second I left you in that park I regretted my choice, but I wanted the job so badly. It was great to finally be noticed by higher authorities and to be promoted. But you know what, screw the job! My home is in New York; at the 12th. And most importantly, my home is here, with you. So I'm sorry, I really, truly am. I know you've heard this from me before, but I just... I never meant to hurt you."

Kate inhaled and exhaled sharply as she started to cry harder and harder while she spoke. Rick soaked up her words. She loved him. She really did. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice.

But, he just couldn't forgive her yet. She left him. And he couldn't just let that slide.

"I just... I don't understand why every time we make progress or take a step forward you get shy about us. You know how much I love you, Kate. You know I would do anything for you. And you told me that you loved me, too! Why did you just throw it all away for a job? We built this relationship for five years; I felt like it was time to move forward. You asked me where we were going, so I knew you wanted more too. But, you left, so I guess I was wrong."

"Rick, I..."

"You know what, Kate? I'm tired; it's almost three in the morning. Can we just talk about this tomorrow?"

"Yeah, um, sure. I uh... I don't have anywhere to stay the night. Do you mind if I...?" Kate said, gesturing toward his bedroom.

Not making eye contact with her, he took a deep breath before saying, "You know where the guest room is. Good night, Kate."

He got up off of the couch and made his way back to his bedroom.

Kate sat there, shocked. She thought for sure that he was going to at least let her sleep in his bed with him. Now more than ever she realized just how upset he really was with her.

Kate stood and made her way to the stairs. Walking into the guest bedroom, she closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and then slid down to the floor. She sat there, thinking over the conversation they just had. Taking her head in her hands, she let the sobs wrack her body.

* * *

**I'm going to go hide now… a lot of people said that I should have Castle stay mad at Kate for a while longer, so I did… **

**I'm really nervous to see what you guys have to say about this chapter. So… review? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Woah, Rachel's posting another chapter within 24 hours!? What is this madness?! Haha, well I was sitting in bed at like one in the morning last night and I had the urge to write, which is why I am getting this out to you all so quickly! **

**I have had a lot of reviews of people saying that Castle should continue to be mad at Kate for a while. And I COMPLETELY agree! So that'll continue for just a short while longer. Sorry for those who wanted fluff! (It will come later, I swear!)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned them I wouldn't be sitting in my room sobbing over the spoilers.**

* * *

_Previously…_

_Kate sat there, shocked. She thought for sure that he was going to at least let her sleep in his bed with him. Now more than ever she realized just how upset he really was with her. _

_Kate stood and made her way to the stairs. Walking into the guest bedroom, she closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and then slid down to the floor. She sat there, thinking over the conversation they just had. Taking her head in her hands, she let the sobs wrack her body. _

* * *

She stops crying after what felt like hours and just sits there, thinking. She doesn't have enough energy to get up; she doesn't want to get in bed. She's not even tired. Not after the love of her life had basically just told her that she had crushed his heart.

What if he really was through with her? What if he didn't love her anymore? What if he had already found another woman?

Oh God, this was not helping her at all. As the horrible thoughts crossed her brain, she became more upset. She cried even harder, not even thinking or caring about how loud she was.

She then hears a soft knock at the door and a quiet call of her name. It's him. She doesn't know whether to ignore him or just let him come in, considering what had just happened.

She quickly wipes her eyes, trying to be the tough, strong, incredibly stubborn woman that she is. She moved away from the door so she was sitting against the adjacent wall.

"Come in," she whimpered.

She sounded so broken, so shattered. He took notice of her sad tone and sighed deeply. He opened the door and saw her sitting on the floor with her head in her hands.

"Kate, I can hear you crying all the way in my room. I'm sure why you're crying mostly has to do with me but you need to sleep, and so do I. We'll talk about this in the morning, okay? I promise you that, Kate."

He wasn't angry with her; he was actually genuinely concerned and sweet about it. She nodded, still not moving or looking up.

"C'mon, get in bed," he said softly.

He held out his hand to her and she took it. She felt her whole arm tingle from his touch. She hasn't touched him in over a week. She's missed his touch so much.

He swiftly pulled her up and she walked over to the bed. She pulled back the covers and layed down.

"I'm sorry, Rick," she said again, pleading to him, trying to get him to say something loving in response.

"I know, Kate. Sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." He took one last look at her, smiled sadly, and walked toward the door.

"I love you," she whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

He didn't respond, he just kept walking and shut the door softly behind him.

Her thoughts had been verified. He really was through with her.

She let another tear slip down her face before her exhaustion took over and she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

He closed the door of the bedroom and leaned against it. He sighed in defeat, knowing how cold he had just been toward her. He really was angry with her, but he also did kind of act like a jackass.

What killed him the most was that she said she loved him. He wanted so badly to say that he loved her too, because he did, but he was just too upset at the moment.

Tomorrow. They would talk about it tomorrow. He walked down the stairs, through the loft, and into his room. He shut the door softly behind him and made his way over to his bed. He got under the covers and settled in.

He really did miss her in his bed. Although he was angry, he did want to work things out with her. Because he loves her, and that will never change.

* * *

**Yeah, I know, this one was pretty short. This was just kind of a filler chapter before they have the big talk the next morning.**

**Once again, I am incredibly nervous to see what you all have to say about this chapter. **

**Review? (:**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is the much anticipated fourth chapter; the big talk! I hope this lives up to everyone's expectations and desires! **

**Again, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or followed this story! It feels amazing to know that people actually like my writing! Big hugs to you all!**

**Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure this is not how the season premiere is going to play out, so obviously I don't own them.**

* * *

_Previously… _

_What killed him the most was that she said she loved him. He wanted so badly to say that he loved her too, because he did, but he was just too upset at the moment._

_Tomorrow. They would talk about it tomorrow. He walked down the stairs, through the loft, and into his room. He shut the door softly behind him and made his way over to his bed. He got under the covers and settled in. _

_He really did miss her in his bed. Although he was angry, he did want to work things out with her. Because he loves her, and that will never change._

* * *

She was running fast, chasing a suspect down an alley. Right before he was about to turn a corner, he stopped, turned around, and pulled his gun on her. She ordered him to put it down but he wouldn't; he held it up and put his finger on the trigger.

"Put it down! On the ground, now! Put the gun down!" she yelled at him.

"Sorry, I can't do that," he responded behind his face mask.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She knew that voice anywhere. It was him? How could he?

BANG.

Next thing she knew, she was on the ground, bullet in her forehead, laying in a pool of her own blood.

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was him, walking by her, devilish smile on his face.

"Looks like things didn't work out as planned, sweetheart," he said, laughing dryly.

Her body went limp.

* * *

She bolted upright in bed, sweating and shaking from fear.

"It was a dream, Kate. Just a dream," she told herself.

She took some deep breaths and rubbed her face, trying to clear the horrifying picture of Richard Castle, the love of her life, shooting and killing her in an alley.

She went into the bathroom, washed her face, and grasped her hair up into a ponytail before she made her way down the stairs.

As she walked into the kitchen, she saw Castle sitting at the counter in his boxers and a t-shirt eating an omelet and reading something on his phone.

"Hey," she said softly as she made her way over to the chair next to him.

"Hey," he replied, not looking at her.

"What time is it?" she asked, still a bit dazed and confused from her nightmare.

"Uhh, it's 11:43," he said, checking the time on his phone.

"Shit," she said, rubbing her face. "I never sleep this late."

"Want me to make you an omelet?" he asked, sliding off his seat.

"Yeah, that would be great, actually, thanks." She was a bit taken aback by his kind gesture.

He went to the fridge to get some ingredients for the omelet and set them down by the stove. He then went and grabbed a coffee mug out of the cabinet, filling and preparing it for her. He brought the mug over and set it down in front of her.

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him.

He returned her smile and nodded at her.

Ugh, still no words. He was killing her. She needed to get something out of him.

"How long have you been up?" she asked, trying to start some kind of a conversation.

"Since eleven, so only like forty-five minutes."

He went back to preparing her omelet, throwing in tomatoes, cheese, and ham. Her favorite. Even though he was not talking to her very much, he was being really sweet with preparing her breakfast just the way she liked it.

He slid the omelet off of the pan and onto the plate. He set it in front of her and got a fork out for her.

"Thanks," she replied as he handed it to her.

She devoured her breakfast quickly. She didn't realize how hungry she really was.

"I'm going to go shower," Kate said as she got up off of the seat. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Welcome," Rick said involuntarily as he cleaned up the dishes.

* * *

Kate stripped off her clothes in the bathroom and stepped into the stream of the hot water. She stood there, letting the water massage her back and help release some of the tension from her shoulders. She thought about the past hour. Castle was being so distant; he didn't even want to look at her. He must have really been hurt by her leaving.

She couldn't stand this. She had to make this right. She needed her lover back and she needed to show him just how wrong she was to leave him.

She finished washing herself and stepped out of the shower, towel drying her hair. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and threw on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top that she found in the bag that she brought with her.

She grabbed her hair brush and as she pulled it out of her bag, a folded piece of paper fell out. She unfolded it, looking to see what it was. She was met with Royce's handwriting; the letter he had written her just before he had been killed. Kate had found the letter in one of her boxes the other day as she was unpacking in her DC apartment. The letter helped her change her mind and come back for Castle. Helped her realize how stupid she had been and helped her realize the big mistake she had made. She brushed her hair out quickly, grabbed the paper, and walked out the door of the bedroom.

She made her way downstairs to find Castle flipping the channels on the TV.

"Can we talk now, please?" she said, realizing just how shaken up she really was about this conversation.

He sighed before turning the TV off and saying, "Yeah, sure. Come sit down."

She sat down on the couch with him and took a deep breath before saying, "Look, Rick. I know you are absolutely pissed at me. I mean, you have every right to be, but this has been eating at me since our conversation last night. I know an 'I'm sorry I know I was wrong' will never justify what I did. I just left you and that's not fair to you whatsoever. I hinted that I wanted things to go further in our relationship and then when we did take a step forward, I ran away. I honestly can't even explain why I thought it was okay to just leave you. And I know you said you would move with me but I just felt like that wasn't fair to you and I don't know, Rick! I just feel horrible about this whole thing and I know you probably don't trust me or don't even love me anymore but I can't express to you how badly I want this to work out and go back to where we left off before I became a selfish bitch and left."

After her long confession, she had to take some deep breaths and wipe the tears from her face that had fallen in protest.

Rick's jaw dropped as he listened her pour her heart out to him. She thought he didn't love her anymore? Probably because he didn't respond to her plea last night. Now more than ever he realized how much she had hurt herself from this.

"First of all, the love I have for you will never die, Kate. I have never felt this way for a woman and it's a feeling that I've felt for you for a long time. Love is not just a switch you can turn off. I have loved you in the past, I love you now, and I always will love you, Kate. Now, it is true, the trust level has fallen, but it always seems to rise and fall with you, Kate. As soon as something seems to be stable, you take the first chance to bolt for the door because you're scared of what may happen if it shifts back to instability. I can't promise you that things are always going to be perfect between us, but we can work things out. You need to learn to talk to me about things and not run away every chance you get. When you left, Kate, I was a mess. I was so hurt and so depressed that I really thought it was all over. If you even knew how hard it was for me maybe it would've made you stay, maybe it would've made you regret the hell you put me through."

He was starting to get angry again, but he was a lot more apologetic than last night.

Kate unfolded the paper in her hands once again. He looked at it and then at her with confusion on his face. She explained herself before he could ask what it was or why she had it.

"When we worked on Royce's case he wrote me a letter, remember? Well, when we were on the plane ride home I read it while you were sleeping. The last paragraph reads this, 'Now for the hard part, kid. It's clear that you and Castle have something real, and you're fighting it. But trust me; putting the job ahead of your heart is a mistake. Risking our hearts is why we're alive. The last thing you want is to look back on your life and wonder, if only.' At the time, I didn't want to believe it. But after another year of working with you and then a year of dating you, I learned that it was possible. I really did love you. And after I got to DC I found this letter again and realized that I had done exactly what he said not to. I put the job before my heart. And yes, it was a mistake. A huge mistake. I don't want to look back on my life and wonder 'if only'. I want to look back on my life and see how great it was because I spent most of it with you. Never again will I run away from this, because I have too many times already and it's never ended the way I wanted it or expected it to. You are the only person I ever want to be with 24/7, 365 days a year. I love you from the bottom of my heart, Rick, and even though I may have permanently screwed things up between us, I just needed to let you know that."

She wiped her eyes and searched his face for a sign of forgiveness, love, anger, hatred, anything. He was expressionless. She could read most people like books but not him. He was impossible.

She stood up to go back upstairs and pack her few things to leave, but he grabbed her wrist before she could. She gasped and turned her head to look back towards him.

He met her gaze and stood up, walking to her until he stopped, grabbed her hips, pulled her to him, and crushed her lips with his.

* * *

**I'm going to go sit and wait patiently for the reviews… I really hope you guys like this.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello there! Most of the reviews for Chapter were like "YAAAAY" and "THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER YES!" and other stuff like that. I love you guys. Seriously. You all make my day. Here's Chapter 5!(:**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, we would never have a hiatus… just sayin'. **

* * *

_Previously…_

_She wiped her eyes and searched his face for a sign of forgiveness, love, anger, hatred, anything. He was expressionless. She could read most people like books but not him. He was impossible. _

_She stood up to go back upstairs and pack her few things to leave, but he grabbed her wrist before she could. She gasped and turned her head to look back towards him. _

_He met her gaze and stood up, walking to her until he stopped, grabbed her hips, pulled her to him, and crushed her lips with his._

* * *

She squeaks and grabs his biceps to steady herself when he forcefully kisses her, not expecting it at all. She relaxes into his kiss as he parts his soft lips, allowing her entrance. She slides her tongue into his mouth and sucks on his bottom lip, moaning softly.

She's missed his soft, caressing lips. She's missed the gentle yet playful way he kisses her.

She's missed him.

He pulls away from the kiss when the need for air was too much. She rests her forehead against his as she pants, beaming, radiating happiness and love.

"I love you, Rick," she whispers to him.

His eyes move up to look into hers as he responds, "I love you too, Kate. But look, me kissing you does not mean I forgive you. You really hurt me, Kate. And I just need you to-"

"I know," she said, cutting him off. "I need to re-earn your trust. I promise you that my heart is yours. I'm not protecting it anymore. I'm never giving up on us and I am sure as hell not running away. You are mine and I am yours. I want marriage; I want to be Mrs. Castle. I want to carry our babies for nine months and birth them so they can be beautiful and intelligent, just like us. I never fully realized how much I wanted until I was gone. I want you; I want this life. And not only that, but I realized that I don't just want you, but I need you. I need your love and I need your protection. If I didn't have you, I would've been dead by now, Rick. I want to spend the rest of my life living with you and loving you. You are my one and done."

She saw the moisture in his eyes, and then the tear slip down his cheek. She wiped it lovingly with her thumb and kissed the spot where it fell on his cheek.

He walked backwards toward the couch and pulled her with him. She was sitting on top of him, straddling him, as he attacked her neck with his lips. Her eyes slammed shut as he laved at her soft skin; nipping, licking, kissing, loving. She craned her neck so he had better access and gently layed her hands on his shoulders. She moaned at the sensations that were going wild in her body. Her whole body tingled and she felt like it was on fire.

She tangled her fingers in his hair and started to rock her hips slowly, grinding into him. A soft groan escaped his lips as he made his way down to her chest. He laved at the exposed skin from her tank top and hummed into her skin. The vibrations surged through her body and her head flew back as a pleasured cry escaped her lips.

"Wait, Castle," she says, putting her hands on his chest and pushing him away suddenly. "I don't want this to be 'make up sex'. Is this real? Are we back at this? What exactly are we now? Has our relationship status changed? Is this-"

"Kate! Calm down. Deep breath," he smiles at her, noticing how quickly she became flustered. He chuckles at how adorable she is.

"You good?" he asks after she took a few breaths and calmed herself down. She nodded and he smiled at her cuteness and leaned in to place a quick kiss on her lips.

"This is not make up sex. You are too good for that, Kate. I'm making love to you simply because I love you, and nothing more, okay? You and I are not exactly back to where we were, but we're very, very close. You are my girlfriend, like before. Sound good to you, love?"

"Yeah, sounds great," she said, smiling widely.

"Oh, and one more thing. We somehow need to get my stuff from DC and get it back to New York. I guess I need to call and see if my apartment is still up for rent."

"I'll call Ralph. We can fly to DC in the morning."

"Who's Ralph?" she asked, confused.

"The pilot of my private jet. He'll get us there and back tomorrow."

"Oh, okay. I should probably go call my landlord before we continue..." she said, already moving to get up off of his lap.

"Kate," he said, grabbing her hips and keeping her down on him before she could move off.

"Hmm?"

"How about you move in with me instead?"

Her smile was so wide, so bright, so... Kate. She looked ecstatic.

"Yes, I'd love to," she answered, leaning in to kiss him passionately.

He kissed her back, adding tongue into the mix, and grabbed her tank top, lifting it over her head. She did the same to his shirt and kissed his exposed, muscular chest.

* * *

Four times. They made love four times on that couch.

A writer and his muse.

* * *

**I cannot even express how badly I wanted to make this a smut fic. But, I know some people do not like smut, and I love my followers, so I will not disappoint! (or at least I will try not to)**

**I may make an M rated companion fic for this though… would anyone be interested?**

**Review?(:**

**P.S. HELLO SHERIDAN. WELCOME TO MY STORY. I LOVE YOU. (((((:**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, I woke up, checked my email, and broke down crying this morning because this fic has over 100 follows! I never thought that I would get this much support and love! Thank you!**

**And about the M rated companion… pretty much everyone said they wanted it. So I am going to write and hopefully finish Chapter 1 today. The title will be "Shed No Tears For Me". **

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine… and if it was my name would come up in the credits on the show. *sigh***

* * *

_Previously… _

_Four times. They made love four times on that couch. _

_A writer and his muse._

* * *

Kate awoke to the buzz of her alarm. She stretched her arm out and leaned over to hit the snooze button, and was quickly brought back down to the bed by the strong arm around her waist. Castle.

She was back to waking up in his bed. It felt so good. So normal.

And they are both naked.

Then the memories of the previous night crept back into her mind. The four rounds of love making on the couch. The fifth round followed in the shower. They got in bed last night with the intention of the sixth round happening, but they were both so exhausted that they crashed before they could.

And now he was spooned up against her in his bed. In _their_ bed. Because she was officially moving in today.

Shit! She's moving in today! They've got to go!

"Castle," she whispered, sliding her foot along his leg and pressing back into him. "We've got to get up. We have to go to DC. C'mon, wake up, Rick."

He slowly became lucid as she spoke to him and he was greeted by the smell of her cherry shampoo. He nuzzled his nose into her hair and groaned at the satisfaction of having her back with him in bed. He released his grip on her waist and let her slide out of the bed in her naked glory to make her way to the bathroom.

When he heard the water running in the shower, he sat up, rubbing his eyes with a yawn, and made his way to the bathroom. He opened the door of the master bathroom to see her already in the shower, washing her hair, so beautifully naked. He silently opened the glass door of the shower and stepped in.

Her back was to him. In one swift move, he grabbed her hips and latched his mouth onto her neck.

"Jesus Christ!" she yelled, dropping the bottle of shampoo. She turned around quickly, realizing that it was just Castle. Who else would it be?

"Morning," he chuckled, leaning in to kiss her.

She put a hand on his cheek and pushed him away before he could kiss her. "Nuh uh, don't you 'morning' me, Richard Castle. Not after you nearly just killed me in the freakin' shower! Don't you know better than to sneak up behind me?"

"Yeah, sorry... I was trying to be loving but I guess that backfired..."

"I'll say. Good try, though," she said, laughing at the slight pout on his face. "Anyway, the flight leaves at 6:45, right? We've got to hurry," she said, noticing that the alarm went off at 5:30 so it must be almost six now.

She planted a quick kiss on his lips before she stepped out and let him finish up in the shower. She dried off and washed her face, brushed her teeth, and started her make up as Castle stepped out of the shower. He grabbed the towel that she had used and dried off, and then he brushed his teeth and went into the bedroom to get dressed.

Once her make up was done, she got dressed as well and pulled her damp hair into a bun.

* * *

Around 6:15 they were ready to go. They drove to the airport in one of Castle's town cars, arriving around 6:30. They made their way to the private terminal and got on Castle's jet.

"Oh my God, Castle. This is amazing," Kate ogled as she looked around at the lush, modern private jet. It had six seats on each side of the plane, a small bar toward the front of the cabin, and a bathroom in the back.

He made his way over to the first row of seats on the left side of the plane and gestured for her to follow him. She sat down in the seat next to him, sinking into the plush leather with a contented sigh.

She grabbed his hand and laced their fingers, and when he turned his head to look and smile at her, she leaned in to press her lips to his softly. What was intended as a chaste kiss turned quickly into a battle of tongues and sucking lips.

They didn't pull away until they heard Ralph's voice come over the intercom, "Alright lovebirds. We have been cleared for takeoff. Buckle up."

Kate chuckled at the pilot's use of 'lovebirds'.

* * *

Their hour and a half flight consisted of relaxing and talking, and by the time they got to the capital, she was sitting in his lap with her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply, a silent thank you for doing this with her. For loving her.

The cab took them to her apartment and when they made their way into the building, the doorman nodded to her with a smile. "Good morning, Alan," she said cheerfully. She pressed the button on the elevator and waited for it to arrive. When it did, they got in and she pressed the button for the eighth floor.

When they got to her floor, they stepped out, still hand in hand, and walked down the hall toward her apartment. She got her keys out of her purse, unlocked the door, and stepped in.

"Wow, this place is nice," he said, looking around the apartment as she shut and locked the door.

"Yeah, it's one of the newer apartment buildings in the city. So, most of my stuff is still in boxes, which will make moving back out a lot easier. I just need to go pack up all of my clothes and-," she stopped mid-sentence when she saw the somber look on his face. "Hey, I'm leaving here, remember? We're here to move me out, Castle. I'm never coming back. I'm living with you, because I love you, okay? This is a good thing," she said, leaning in to kiss him.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly and burying his face in her neck.

Being here, seeing her apartment, made him realize how real all of this really was. She really did leave him, and she was about to start a life here.

But she came back for him. She came back for him because she loves him and couldn't go on without him.

And in that moment he knew that he couldn't hold anything against her. He knew that he has forgiven her entirely. She left this to come back. For him.

"Kate, I am done being upset about this, I am done being hurt. You left all of this to come back to me. Thank you. I love you more than anything on this planet."

She smiled brightly, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him again, long and hard.

"I love you, too. Let's pack up and get home."

Home.

* * *

**As this story continues it seems to get fluffier and fluffier. Who doesn't love fluff, though? Am I right? (:**

**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**So… I was planning on writing the first chapter of "Shed No Tears for Me" last night, but I crashed. I usually get in bed around 11 and stay up until like 4 writing… but it didn't happen last night. Sorry! Hopefully I can write it tonight and get it posted in the morning! **

**Anyway… here's chapter seven! (:**

* * *

_Previously… _

_"Kate, I am done being upset about this, I am done being hurt. You left all of this to come back to me. Thank you. I love you more than anything on this planet." _

_She smiled brightly, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him again, long and hard. _

_"I love you, too. Let's pack up and get home." _

_Home. _

* * *

It had been almost two weeks since Kate moved in, and they were happier than ever.

Martha and Alexis had both been informed that Kate had come back and moved in, and they were ecstatic.

Well, Martha was ecstatic.

Alexis... not so much. She had had to deal with her father's heartache and depression every time Kate had left or neglected to contact him. Alexis figured that this was just another one of Kate's promises that she'd never keep.

Jim was the first one to know about Kate's coming back to New York. She had called him on the phone the night before she came back, crying to him about how she knew she had screwed up and how she just wanted to come back. He listened and consoled his daughter, as knew her better than anyone.

He gave her the best advice that anyone had ever given her. "You've never been in a serious relationship before Rick, Katie. I can tell how much you love him, and it's obvious he loves you, too. I know you want to work for the FBI, but you love being a detective. You need to go back for him, Katie. Before it's too late."

As soon as she hung up with him she booked the last flight of the day to New York.

* * *

Kate and Rick were snuggled on the couch together, watching a movie. They heard a key turn in the lock and then the 19-year-old redhead stepped in the door.

"Hi, pumpkin!" Castle said, standing up from the couch to walk over and embrace his daughter. Kate followed, greeting his daughter with welcome arms. Kate could see the anger and hesitation in Alexis' eyes, but she hugged her anyway with a soft, "Hi, Kate."

"I'm going to go make dinner, okay? Why don't you girls chat," Rick said, making his way to the kitchen. He hoped that this would give his daughter and girlfriend some time to talk, for he knew that there were some things that they needed to talk about alone.

Alexis set her purse down by the door and toed her shoes off before moving into the living room and settling down on the couch. Kate followed, sitting next to her.

"So how are you, Lex?" Kate said, breaking the silence.

"I'm okay, I guess. How about you?" she replied, still a bit distant.

"I'm doing really, really well, thanks. Things are great between your dad and me. We're right back to where we were."

Alexis slightly nodded and swallowed hard before letting everything out that was on her mind. "Why did you do it, Kate? Why did you leave? You should've seen my dad after you left. He was a wreck! All he wanted was you and nothing else. He never left his room, he didn't want to do anything, and he didn't want to talk to anyone. You've left him hanging before, Kate, but this time was the worst. He didn't deserve what you put him through! I thought you loved him!" Alexis' anger grew with every sentence she uttered.

All of the horrible feelings came rushing back to Kate. The hatred and anger toward herself that she felt as soon as she knew she had hurt him. She took a deep breath before pouring her heart out to the girl.

"Look, Alexis. I know that you obviously don't want to trust me. I've hurt your father more times than I can count, I know that. But I want you to know that he is everything to me, and I love him more than anything in the world. Leaving your dad for a job was the dumbest thing I've ever done. Although you may not believe me, I promise you with my whole heart that I will not run from him again. He is my one and done, Lex. I already told him that I want to marry him and have his children. I love him with my whole heart, and I love you as well, Alexis. You have my word on all of this."

Alexis took a few seconds to digest everything that Kate had just confessed. "You've made promises in the past and broken them before, Kate. I hope you know that if you don't keep this one, you will never be allowed back into this family."

"I will never leave again. But yes, I understand completely."

Alexis could see the anguish in Kate's eyes when she talked about leaving her father. But she also saw the love in her eyes when she talked about loving him, marrying him, and having his kids. She knew how honest Kate was being.

Alexis' eyes changed from anger to compassion in seconds. Before Kate could contemplate what was happening, Alexis threw herself at her and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Welcome home, Kate. I love you, too."

Kate smiled and kissed the top of the girl's head. She was like her own daughter. "Let's go see what your dad's making for us in the kitchen," she said softly.

Alexis stood up with her and linked their arms as they went to see what the man of the house was doing.

* * *

"Oh, Kate! I almost forgot, the book launch for Deadly Heat is tomorrow! Will you be my date to the party?" he said to her, waggling his eyebrows.

"Of course I will, you big doof," she said, squeezing his arm before lifting up on her toes and kissing him.

It had been an hour since Alexis left and they were planning on finishing the movie that they were watching earlier. They sat down together on the couch, snuggling under the warm blanket. Castle hit play and they continued to watch.

Castle wasn't really paying attention to the movie. He was more so paying attention to the woman next to him, snuggled against his chest. She was so beautiful. With every blink, furrowed eyebrow, sigh, and smile, he loved her more and more.

He couldn't wait any longer; he needed to do it tomorrow. At the party.

For her. For him. For both of them.

* * *

**D'awwwwh.(:**

**Can you guys guess what Castle's going to do? Let me know what you think in the reviews!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, Chapter 8! Again, thank you for the continued support for this story! The emails pour in every time I update, and it feels really good to know that people love it.**

**This is for Sheridan, Morgan, and Kayla. I love you guys. Thanks for lovin' me back! (:**

**Disclaimer: Not happening, okay?**

* * *

_Previously… _

_It had been an hour since Alexis left and they were planning on finishing the movie that they were watching earlier. They sat down together on the couch, snuggling under the warm blanket. Castle hit play and they continued to watch._

_Castle wasn't really paying attention to the movie. He was more so paying attention to the woman next to him, snuggled against his chest. She was so beautiful. With every blink, furrowed eyebrow, sigh, and smile, he loved her more and more._

_He couldn't wait any longer; he needed to do it tomorrow. At the party._

_For her. For him. For both of them._

* * *

"Castle, where's my black bra?" she yelled through the bedroom to him in the bathroom.

"You mean the one I ripped off of you last night before we-"

"No, not that one! The lace one!" she yelled, rolling her eyes at the fact that he was about to bring up last night's activities.

"Oh, I washed it yesterday! It should be in the basket by the dresser!"

"Okay, thanks!" she yelled.

Castle smiled to himself in the bathroom. He found it funny that she was practically yelling through the loft asking him where her bra was. And he was yelling back to her, saying that he had just washed it. Because he washes their clothes together. Because they live together.

He found it to be so... domestic.

Kate found her bra and put it on along with her black lace thong. She then went over to the large walk-in closet and looked for the dress she wanted to wear. She knew exactly which dress it was, but she couldn't remember where she had put it. She ruffled through her dresses in the closet until she saw the dark purple fabric. She stopped, grabbed it, and slid it on, satisfied that she had found it. She found her black stilettos with the tallest heels and slid them on, too. She then grabbed her black clutch and threw her essentials in it before stepping back into the bedroom. She had already done her make up; a smoky eye with subtle pink lips and cheeks, to contrast against her tan skin tone.

She stepped in front of the mirror and pinned half of her long curls up, leaving half down to lay on her shoulders. She was ready to go.

* * *

Castle stepped out of the bathroom in his suit with his classic black tie. He just had to put his shoes on and he was ready. He pulled the suit jacket tighter, buttoning the middle button. He then found his shoes at the foot of the bed, slid them on, and tied them. He made his way out into the living room to see his girlfriend with her back to him. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. He gaped at the dark purple dress that had barely, yet modestly, covered her. It was a skin-tight halter top dress that went down to mid-thigh, with some sequins and glitter over the bust area. She looked gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, and perfect.

She looked hot.

He walked over to her and she must've heard him coming, because as soon as he was about to grab her, she turned around to him with a smirk on her face.

"Damn, baby, you caught me," he said seductively.

"What did I tell you about sneaking up on me, Ricky? It's a bad idea."

He chuckled, grabbed her hips, and stroked his hands over her sides. He then brought one of his hands up to grab the back of her neck to pull her to him. He kissed her deeply, immediately darting his tongue out to let it slide along her lips. She opened her mouth to him and he swirled his tongue around hers, tasting the minty toothpaste that they share. She kissed him back with just as much excitement, bringing her hands down to squeeze his hard ass.

When they broke apart, their lips were swollen and they were both dazed from the intensity of the kiss. She grabbed her clutch from the counter and pecked his lips again before grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers. "Shall we?"

He smiled at her, "We shall, my love."

* * *

As the limo pulled up to the largest Barnes and Noble in Manhattan, Castle kissed her on the cheek and informed her about the paparazzi. "They're like animals, Kate. They'll ask you about every little thing just to try to annoy you. All you have to do is keep your hand in mine, ignore them, and keep your eye on the door. If there's a question that needs to be answered, I'll do it. Okay?"

"Okay. Let's go," she said to him with a smile.

He kissed her cheek again and then reached out to open the door. He was immediately bombarded with,

"Mr. Castle!"

"How are things going with the book?"

"Are you starting a new series soon?"

"Are you continuing with Nikki Heat?"

"Is there anyone in your life right now?"

He put out his hand and Kate took it, stepping out of the limo and smoothing out her dress. She was immediately blinded and deafened by the camera flashes and the questions being screamed at them. The questions were mostly about who she was, if they were just friends, if they were lovers, and if she was pregnant (seriously?). She just smiled and kept her hand in Castle's like she had been instructed until they made their way to the door. He held it open for her and they slipped inside.

"This bookstore looks familiar to me. I must have been here before, but I can't remember when," she said to him.

He just smiled and kept walking.

* * *

The party had gone smoothly so far. Castle had kept Kate stuck to his side the whole time, stealing kisses from her every now and then. He had conversed with people and had introduced her to all of them.

She felt so loved and wanted by him as he made her known to everyone as, "My girlfriend, Kate Beckett." She liked the way he protected her yet felt compelled to introduce her to everyone he knew. The way he kindly refused to sign women's chests. The way he made her feel like his number one priority. She loved this side to him.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present tonight's guest of honor, the mastermind behind Nikki Heat, Mr. Richard Castle!" Gina's voice roared on the loud speakers in the bookstore.

Everyone clapped, hollered, and hooted for him as he made his way to the stage, swiftly grabbing and squeezing Kate's ass and winking at her as he walked by her. She was standing directly in front of the stage.

He walked up the few steps and adjusted the microphone to his height.

"Thank you. I was planning on coming up here and talking about Deadly Heat, the reason why you're all here, but instead I'd like to tell you all a little story. It feels very nostalgic being back here in this book store. You know why? This is the store where I had my very first book signing for "In a Hail of Bullets". I was young, a rookie, to say the least. The one reason why this was so memorable was because I met someone that day that I will never forget. That day, I was sitting at the table, and a young, beautiful brunette woman walked up to get my very first book signed."

As Castle was relaying his story, her breath hitched. He was talking about her, wasn't he?

Is that why this bookstore seemed so familiar?

"I know for a fact that this woman remembers meeting me, but I know that she doesn't remember it being here, and she certainly doesn't know that I remember. She is here tonight, and she is the most beautiful, amazing, extraordinary woman I've ever had the privilege to know. Everyone, please give a big warm welcome to my girlfriend, Katherine Beckett."

Everyone clapped and Kate was frozen, her mouth wide. He was really doing this? Publicly announcing that they were together? Next thing she knew, he was holding his hand out to her and she took it, making her way up the three small steps onto the stage with him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and continued speaking.

"Kate is the inspiration for Nikki Heat. When I first met Kate for my research, she was a tough, hard-working, and dedicated homicide detective. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. As the years went by, we started to fall more and more in love with each other, and we started to have fun working together. She proved to have a soft side, and I proved to be surprisingly helpful at the precinct. About a year ago, we finally gave into our feelings and started dating. I have to say, this has been the happiest year of my entire life. I'd never thought that I would fall in love with that beautiful hazel-eyed girl that got my first book signed."

Kate blinked away a tear from her eye as he reached out to grab a copy of "Deadly Heat" from a fan in the audience.

He opened the book to the first page. The page where the dedication was written. How could she have forgotten to read it?

"I usually dedicate my books to Kate, and this one is no different. This dedication has more of a question behind it, though. This one is more special than the rest.

It reads, 'To the extraordinary KB, who hopefully soon I can call KC. I love you.'"

Her eyes widened as he read it. She heard many an "awh" and "how sweet" from the crowd.

Did he mean-?

Oh yes, yes he did.

He was pulling the box from his pocket and opening it, bending down on one knee.

"You are the love of my life, my always. You are the most incredible woman I know, and I want to make you happy every day for the rest of your life. Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She covered her mouth with her hand as she cried tears of joy.

"Yes!" she cried out. He slid the ring on her finger and he stood up. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, not even caring that everyone around them was watching, clapping, and cheering.

"I love you," she mumbled against his lips.

She was engaged. She didn't screw it up this time. She was getting married to Richard Castle.

She was on cloud nine.

* * *

**I really am in love with this chapter! **

**Review?(: **


	9. Chapter 9

**YAY! Everyone was really happy with the proposal! I am so glad you guys liked it!**

**Just to clarify, I had someone ask me about the number of times he proposed, and yes, the book store proposal was the second time. The first time was on the swings, where she rejected and left him.**

**Oh! As soon as this gets posted the first two chapters of the M-rated companion "Shed No Tears for Me" will be posted! Go check that out! (:**

**Disclaimer: NOOOOOOOPPPPPEEEEEE.**

* * *

_Previously… _

_"You are the love of my life, my always. You are the most incredible woman I know, and I want to make you happy every day for the rest of your life. Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" _

_She covered her mouth with her hand as she cried tears of joy. _

_"Yes!" she cried out. He slid the ring on her finger and he stood up. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, not even caring that everyone around them was watching, clapping, and cheering. _

_"I love you," she mumbled against his lips. _

_She was engaged. She didn't screw it up this time. She was getting married to Richard Castle. _

_She was on cloud nine. _

* * *

She sighs, her eyes cracking open as she looks at the alarm clock. 12:23. Shit, they had slept really late.

It probably had a lot to do with what they had done last night... with the proposal and her tight dress torturing him all night, good times had commenced when they had gotten home.

She lifted up her left hand to admire her beautiful engagement ring. It was so perfect. He definitely had it custom-made. Such a sweet man.

She heard his breath hitch and he groaned, turning over to face her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Castle," he said, leaning in to brush his lips over hers.

She smiled against his lips. "I'm not Mrs. Castle yet, you know."

"Close enough."

She giggled and cupped his cheeks, still kissing his soft lips. Her stomach growled and she broke from the kiss. "God, I'm hungry."

"Pancakes?"

"Mmm, sounds good. But I don't want to get up."

"Then don't. I'll go make them. Just lay here."

"Thanks," she said, pecking his lips.

"Anything for you, my darling fiancée."

Her heart fluttered. Fiancée. That was definitely going to take some getting used to.

About twenty minutes later, Castle came back into their bedroom with a tray with pancakes, coffee, and cut up cantaloupe. Kate put her copy of "Frozen Heat" onto the night stand and admired the tasty-smelling food. He slid back into bed next to her and brought the tray between them. They both picked up forks and dug into the breakfast.

* * *

They ate every last bit of the food. Rick set the tray on the floor and they layed back down together. They were on their sides, facing each other. He was running his fingers through her hair and she was stroking her fingers up and down his arm.

"I have to go back to work tomorrow."

His eyes widened. He forgot about that. She tried to tell him while he was writing a few days ago but he's pretty sure he really wasn't listening.

"To- tomorrow? Shit, I kind of forgot. Does that mean I'm going back, too?"

"No, not yet. I need to get settled back in first. I may be on desk duty for the first week anyway."

"It's not like you did anything wrong. Why would they punish you with desk duty?"

"They're not punishing me, Castle. I've been out of work for over a month now. I need to get back into the swing of things before they put me back out on the line."

He gets it, he really does, but he'd rather she get right back to her normal duties as a detective. He just wants to get back there and help.

"I'm going to miss you," he whispers softly.

"I'm going to miss you, too. But I'll be back home in no time. I promise."

She brings her lips to his in a whisper of a kiss. He grins widely at her, the love pouring out of him.

"Shower?" she asks.

"Yeah. Hey, how about for your last day off we just leisurely walk around the city?"

"Sounds good to me. Let's go Castle."

* * *

About an hour later, they were walking down the streets of Manhattan, his right hand tangled in her left. He could feel her engagement ring between his fingers.

She was in a mint green summer dress with zebra print flats, and he was in cargo shorts, a short sleeve blue button down, and sneakers.

They walked in a comfortable silence, just enjoying the view of the nature, buildings, and people around them. It was nice. It was easy.

They walked by a bridal shop and Kate couldn't help but turn her head and look inside. She noticed the dresses, veils, garters, tuxedos, and the bridesmaid's dresses. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she thought about how she was going to be doing all of that in a few months.

Rick couldn't help but notice her staring into the shop's windows. "Want to go inside, Kate?" he asked.

Her eyes sparkled as she continued to look. "Nah, it's okay. I have a while before I need to do all of that."

"Speaking of which, when do you want to get married, Kate?"

Her head whipped back to his quickly. "I don't know, how about you?"

"It's completely up to you, Kate. To be honest, I really don't want a winter wedding, so I guess springtime?"

"How about fall?" she asks quickly.

"Fall? You want to wait over a year to get married?"

"No, I mean this fall."

His jaw dropped. "Kate, it's already June. You want to get married in like four months?"

"Yes. Do you not want to?"

"No, not at all. I like it; we should get married in the fall. How about in October?"

She smiled and nodded. "I think we can make those arrangements."

He stopped in the middle of the busy sidewalk, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her.

"I love you, Mrs. Castle."

* * *

**Gotta love that fluffy fluff! **

**Is there anything that you guys want to see in this fic? Let me know when you review!(: **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chugging along, folks! I've made it to double digit chapters! I've never done that before! (:**

**Thank you to everyone that is supporting me and this story!**

**This one's for Morgan! Thanks for letting me bawl to you about Decisions and Dominoes. Love you! **

**Disclaimer: Is my name Andrew Marlowe? Yeah, I didn't think so. **

* * *

_"How about fall?" she asks quickly._

_"Fall? You want to wait over a year to get married?" _

_"No, I mean this fall."_

_His jaw dropped. "Kate, it's already June. You want to get married in like four months?" _

_"Yes. Do you not want to?"_

_"No, not at all. I like it; we should get married in the fall. How about in October?"_

_She smiled and nodded. "I think we can make those arrangements."_

_He stopped in the middle of the busy sidewalk, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her. _

_"I love you, Mrs. Castle."_

* * *

The alarm buzzed, making her jump. She groaned and turned toward it, reaching for the snooze button. She hit it and sighed.

First day back at work.

She reached over for her partner but he wasn't there. The bed was cold next to her, meaning that he had been gone for a while. It was entirely too early for him to be up.

She swung her leg over the edge of the bed and was about to sit up when the door to their bedroom opened and he stepped through with a tray in his hands.

"Good morning, detective," he said cheerfully.

"Hi," she responded with a smile.

"Sit up," he ordered.

She did as she was told, propping her pillow against the headboard and leaning back against it. He placed the tray on her lap. She looked down at the contents of it and smiled. Coffee, blueberry crepes, and bacon.

"Castle, you didn't have to do this," she said, raising an eye brow at him but still smiling.

"Yes I did. It's your first day back at work. You need to be properly nourished."

She laughed and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down to her. "Well, thank you," she said, before pushing her lips to his. He cupped her cheek and darted his tongue out to brush against her lips before pulling away.

"Eat. I don't want to be the one to make you late. I don't need another reason for Captain Gates to hate me."

She snorted and picked up her fork to dive into her warm breakfast.

* * *

She put her suit jacket on and grabbed her bag off of the floor. Taking a deep breath, she slid her engagement ring off of her finger. It had only been a few days since they had gotten engaged, but she was going to feel naked without it on. But, in her line of work, there was no way she was going to be able to wear it without the possibility of damaging or losing it.

She was about to place the ring on the coffee table when Rick came out from his office.

"I'll take that," he said. She gave it to him and he slid it on his pinky finger.

"Have a good day at work, honey," he said before leaning in to kiss her. Before he could though, she pressed a finger to his lips and backed up a step.

"Honey? Seriously, Rick? We're becoming one of _those_ couples?"

"What, it's cute! We are going to be married soon, you know."

"Ugh, whatever. Goodbye, _stud_. I'll see you after work." She pecked his lips and walked out the door, leaving him there, slack-jawed.

* * *

"Welcome back, Detective Beckett," Gates said to her with a nod, and a... was that a smile? Wow.

"Thank you, sir. Glad to be back."

She unpacked her things at her desk and looked around for the boys. It was too early for them to be out chasing a lead. So, where were they?

As she was about to go ask Gates where her partners were, the elevator opened and the boys stepped out, talking about what sounded like Call of Duty.

She waited for them to notice her. They both set their bags down and Esposito was about to get coffee from the break room when he noticed her. He nudged Ryan and nodded his head in her direction. Ryan leaned over and whispered something in Esposito's ear, and then he resumed his path, making his way to the break room.

It had been an hour and they still hadn't said anything.

Were they mad at her? Why would they be? Maybe because she never called them to tell them she was back?

She didn't know, but it was starting to get on her nerves. She looked up to see the two of them playing paper football, flicking the small triangular paper at each other.

Esposito flicked one really hard and it flew over and hit Kate in the shoulder. She rolled her eyes and picked it up off of the floor.

"_Seriously_, guys? How old _are_ you?"

The guys feigned surprise before Ryan blurted out, "Beckett! Have you been here the whole time?"

"Oh shut up, Ryan. Don't act like you guys didn't know I was here."

Their eyes sparkled with adoration for their pseudo-sister as they got up to come over to her desk.

"We've missed you, Beckett. Welcome back," Esposito said.

"I've missed you guys, too," she said, standing up to hug them both.

"We haven't had a body drop today, and we closed a case yesterday, so there's pretty much nothing to do around here except paperwork," Ryan explained.

"Detective Beckett," they heard the loud, stern voice roar.

"Yes, sir?" she said, turning to Gates.

"Where's Mr. Castle?"

"Um, he's at home. Why?"

"I'm surprised he's not with you, that's all."

"Can I bring him with me tomorrow? Bring him back as my partner?"

"I'm not going to admit that I like having Mr. Castle in my precinct, but he is surprisingly helpful. Yes, have him come back tomorrow. Now, the three of you have paperwork to do. Get to it."

"Yes, Sir," the three detectives said in unison.

* * *

Kate opened the door to the loft at 6:37 and was welcomed by the amazing scent of one of her favorite dishes, chicken picatta.

"Is that my beautiful fiancée coming in the door?" she heard from the kitchen.

She giggled and replied, "Why yes, it is!"

He laughed as she made her way into the kitchen. "Is there a reason why you're making my favorite dinner?"

"Just to show you I love you, that's all. And maybe because I found the recipe today and my mouth started watering."

She laughed at her man-child. "You're adorable." She leaned in to kiss him before going to change.

* * *

"So, how was your first day back?" he asked as she made her way back to the kitchen, now clad in baggy sweats and a pink v-neck tee shirt.

"Boring. Just paperwork, all day long. But I do have good news."

He turned toward her and raised an eye brow, gesturing for her to continue.

"My partner gets to come back to work tomorrow."

Her... what? She has a new p-... Oh wait. She's talking about him.

She sees his face break out into a huge smile and he grabs the waist elastic on her pants to pull her to him for a kiss.

"I can't wait."

* * *

"I think we should tell Lanie and the boys about our engagement tomorrow."

They were lying on the couch together. She was flipping through channels on the TV, trying to find something entertaining for them to watch, while he was entertained by nibbling on her neck.

"Let's invite them to The Old Haunt tomorrow after work for drinks and tell them then," she said.

"Okay, yeah, whatever," he replied, not really listening.

She rolled her eyes at him, knowing that he had no idea what she was saying, and she turned around to face him.

"Castle. Did you hear anything I just said?" she said in a stern voice.

"Yes. Old Haunt tomorrow after work."

"And why are we going there?"

"Because... we want to?"

"See, you weren't listening. We're going to tell Lanie and the boys about our engagement."

"Oh, okay," he said, pulling her back to him so he could suck at the sweet skin of her neck some more.

"Hold on, one more thing. If I'm talking to you, telling you something, you have to listen. You can't be like this at the precinct, Rick."

He was taken aback by her strict tone. Since when was she like this?

"I know, Kate."

"Okay, good. Now, take me to bed, Castle."

His eyes widened and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked her up, carrying her to their bedroom.

* * *

**The conclusion of this chapter means I have another chapter of "Shed No Tears for Me" to write! By the way, have you guys checked it out? **

**Review?(: **


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry it's taken me forever to post a new chapter! I have had some recent upsetting stuff happen in my life and I really haven't been able to think about writing. **

**But, last night I tried to relax and I wrote this and another chapter of Shed No Tears for Me. Hope you like them!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, I don't think I would be crying about how far away September 23 is. **

* * *

_Previously…_

_"Castle. Did you hear anything I just said?" she said in a stern voice. _

_"Yes. Old Haunt tomorrow after work."_

_"And why are we going there?"_

_"Because... we want to?" _

_"See, you weren't listening. We're going to tell Lanie and the boys about our engagement." _

_"Oh, okay," he said, pulling her back to him so he could suck at the sweet skin of her neck some more._

_"Hold on, one more thing. If I'm talking to you, telling you something, you have to listen. You can't be like this at the precinct, Rick." _

_He was taken aback by her strict tone. Since when was she like this?_

_"I know, Kate."_

_"Good. Now, take me to bed, Castle."_

_His eyes widened and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked her up, carrying her to their bedroom. _

* * *

"Castle, we should probably... mmmmm... get up there... soon," she breathlessly whispered to him.

It started out chaste. She had told him she loved him, like any other day, and he had kissed her. She was satisfied, but apparently he wanted more, so he leaned back in to kiss her once again. She responded to him, kissing him back and opening her mouth to his eager tongue.

Next thing she knew, she was sitting on his desk in the basement office of The Old Haunt while he stood between her legs and nibbled, licked, and tenderly sucked on her neck.

He brought himself back from his lust-induced haze and rose from her neck, a satisfied smile on his face.

"You already have the start of a few hickeys there, Detective."

"Gee, great, _thanks_," she sarcastically threw back at him.

She didn't care. Besides the rock on her finger, the dark red marks on her neck showed everyone that she was his, and only his.

She slid off of the desk and they walked up the basement stairs with their fingers intertwined, making sure to set their plan into action to surprise their friends.

* * *

Kate was hiding in the bathroom.

Okay, so maybe her hiding place was extremely immature, but it was the furthest thing from their booth.

She waited to get the "Everyone's here" text from Castle before she exited the bathroom. She looked over to where they were sitting, in their usual booth, and was pleased to see that Ryan, Jenny, Esposito, and Lanie were all there with Castle.

She sent him a quick text saying "Look at me" before moving toward them. He looked up and made eye contact with her, acting surprised and ecstatic to see her.

Okay, the ecstatic feeling wasn't an act. He really was ecstatic to see her, even though they only had been apart for ten minutes. Their friends saw his happy expression and matched his gaze to see Kate walking toward them with a wide smile on her face. Once she reached the booth, he stood up to meet her and he wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi, I've missed you," she replied.

She leaned in to kiss him and purposely cupped his face in the process, flashing her ring to their friends in the booth.

They made the kiss a little longer than needed and when they pulled apart, they turned to see their friends slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Ryan and Esposito's faces also showed a bit of disgust.

As the boys had explained it in the past, it was like "Mom and Dad" were kissing in front of them.

Lanie was the first to find her voice. "Kate Beckett, what the _hell_ is that on your finger?"

Kate and Castle both laughed loudly.

"So you did notice. Guys, Castle and I are engaged!" Kate announced with a wide smile.

Lanie and Jenny both squealed as the boys fist bumped and talked about who had won the bet they had going. Everyone said their congratulations and hugged the newly engaged couple.

"We're so happy for you guys, really. Congratulations. To Castle and Beckett!" Esposito said, holding up his glass to make a toast.

"To Castle and Beckett!" they all yelled, clanking their glasses together and taking a drink.

"To us," Kate whispered, staring into her fiancé's eyes.

"To us."

He leaned in to kiss her before clanking their own glasses and drinking.

"Awww, you guys are just too cute!" Lanie squealed.

"So, how did he propose?" Jenny asked.

"I am the type who loves intimate, one on one proposals, but this one was extremely public. But somehow, it was even more perfect than I had ever hoped for. He proposed to me at his book launch party for Deadly Heat the other night."

Kate continued to tell the story while mindlessly stroking Castle's leg under the table. He just stared at her as she told their story, mesmerized by her beauty.

He really was marrying a perfect woman.

* * *

"So, when are you guys getting married?" Ryan asked.

"October," Kate and Rick both answered in unison.

"You mean like in four months, October?" Lanie asked, exasperated.

"That's what I said! But, it was Kate's suggestion and I love it. So yes, we are getting married in four months." Castle responded.

As they were talking, Esposito noticed something on Kate's neck. There were four blotchy red marks. Wait, were those-?

"Remember that one time when I said that they're not hickies, Esposito? Well this time, they are, so stop your gawking," Kate scolded him.

Espo's cheeks reddened when he was caught. How did she even know he was looking at them?

* * *

They had finished their third round of drinks before everyone decided to head home. It was already two in the morning and they were the only ones left in the bar. The bartender, waitresses, and even the manager had left, telling Castle that he could lock up for the night.

As Castle hailed a cab, he held Kate's hand tight in his and smiled at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Can't I stare at my beautiful fiancée?" he asked.

"Staring is creepy, Castle. I have told you that plenty of times."

"Fine."

They hopped into their cab. Castle gave the driver their address and the two lovebirds sat in comfortable silence with their laced fingers resting on Kate's thigh.

* * *

He pushed the button on the elevator and as the doors closed, he grabbed her and kissed her hard. She was a little surprised at first, but immediately opened her mouth to him, letting his warm tongue slip inside her mouth to tangle with hers. He slid his hands under her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her back and tried to lift the shirt over her head when she placed a hand on his chest.

"Castle, we can't do this here. Wait until we're in the loft." She winked at him and pecked his lips once again before the doors opened.

They made their way down the hall and Castle slid his key in the door to unlock and open it. When he did, his jaw dropped when he saw the woman sitting on his couch in a tank top and boy short underwear.

"Meredith?" he croaked out.

"Hello, Kitten."

* * *

**Awww shit! The Deep Fried Twinkie is here! **

**Review?(: **


	12. Chapter 12

**Haha, I loved the reviews for the last chapter. Everyone was freaking out because I brought Meredith into the story. I hope you guys would know by know that there is always a method to my madness.(: **

**I'd like to thank a very special reviewer for the Meredith idea. You know who you are. **

**Warning: There is some very strong language in this chapter. I don't normally use it, but I felt like it was needed here. **

**This chapter is for Morgan. I think she almost came to my house and killed me when she read chapter eleven. I hope she likes this one. **

**Disclaimer: I really hate writing this every chapter because it just reminds me that I don't own them. **

* * *

_Previously... _

_They made their way down the hall and Castle slid his key in the door to unlock and open it. When he did, his jaw dropped when he saw the woman sitting on his couch in a tank top and boy short underwear. _

_"Meredith?" he croaked out. _

_"Hello, Kitten." _

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here? How did you even get in?" Castle asked, anger evident in his voice.

"I still have a key, you know. You never took it back. And I'm in town for a few days and I figured it would be fine to stay here. You didn't have a problem with it last time," she replied with a saucy tone, trying to seduce him.

Meredith didn't see Kate standing behind Castle, so she walked closer to him and grabbed the lapel of his jacket, pulling herself against him.

"Why don't we go in the bedroom and do what we used to do. Like old times."

Castle pushed her away. "Get the hell off of me, Meredith. You know I'm in a relationship," he said, growling at her.

"Oh, you're still with that slutty detective? How is she, Ricky? Is she all you've ever wanted and more?" Meredith asked with a laugh.

"Excuse me?!" Kate yelled, stepping out from behind Rick. "Who the fuck do you think you are to call _me_ a slut? You're the one who tries to seduce Rick to have _ex sex_ with you every damn time you're here!" Kate yelled, extremely pissed off.

"Kate, let me-"

"Rick, go in the bedroom. _Now_," Kate cut him off, glaring at him.

He didn't even hesitate. He went straight into their bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Kate cut right to the chase.

"Look, I know you're Alexis' mom, Meredith. I get it. But I know you are aware just as much as we are about her being in college, so she's not here. I didn't want you here when you came six months ago when Alexis had mono, and I sure as hell don't want you here now. You may have been Rick's wife once, and you may have lived here once, but you don't anymore. This is Rick and my loft. Not yours. So get the hell out."

"What makes you think I'll let you boss me around? You're his live-in girlfriend and I'm his ex-wife. I clearly am higher up on the totem pole than you are."

"I'm not his live-in girlfriend, bitch. I'm his fiancé," she growled.

Meredith's jaw dropped. "His what?"

"You heard me. We're getting married. And unlike you, I'm keeping him forever. I'm not going to be an idiot and screw it up like you did. If anyone's a slut in this room, it's you. So shut the fuck up and get the fuck out of my loft."

Kate headed straight for the door and opened it. She waved her hand gesturing for Meredith to leave.

Meredith sighed and grabbed her bag, her keys, and walked out the door.

Kate caught her key ring on the way out and snatched it from her hands. She slid the key to the loft off of the ring and shoved it in her pocket. She handed the ring back to Meredith with an evil smile.

"I'll be keeping this, thanks."

"Look, Kate, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I don't need your bullshit, Meredith. Just go."

And with that, Kate slammed the loft door in her face.

She sighed and walked back into the living room. Rick exited their bedroom and headed toward her.

"How much of that did you hear?" Kate asked, raking her hand through her hair.

"All of it. You were yelling pretty loud, Kate."

"Look Castle, I'm sorry. I'm just sick of-"

She was cut off by his lips on hers. She moaned into his forceful kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He broke from the kiss and looked into her eyes, a playful smirk on her face. "Becoming a little possessive, are we?"

"Shut up and kiss me, Castle."

* * *

**Yeah, it's kind of short, but I felt like this had to stand on its own. **

**FYI, that was not bitchy Kate, that was badass Beckett. (;**

**I'm anxious to know if you guys liked it... **

**Review?(: **


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so happy that everyone loved Badass Beckett in chapter twelve! That was definitely my favorite chapter to write thus far. **

**Although, this one was great, too! I really hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: IF I OWNED CASTLE I WOULDN'T BE FREAKING OUT THAT WE ONLY HAVE EIGHT MORE MONDAY'S LEFT.**

* * *

_Previously… _

_"How much of that did you hear?" Kate asked, raking her hand through her hair. _

_"All of it. You were yelling pretty loud, Kate."_

_"Look Castle, I'm sorry. I'm just sick of-"_

_She was cut off by his lips on hers. She moaned into his forceful kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. _

_He broke from the kiss and looked into her eyes, a playful smirk on his face. "Becoming a little possessive, are we?"_

_"Shut up and kiss me, Castle." _

* * *

Two months had passed and Kate and Rick were really busy. They had a lot of planning left to do and their wedding was just two months away!

They had a date; Saturday, October 12, 2013. They had a place; on the beach at their Hamptons home. But they still needed... pretty much everything else.

Kate had asked Lanie to be her maid of honor and she agreed with a squeal and a crushing hug.

Kate and Rick asked Esposito to be the best man. They wanted both of the boys to be the best men together, but Kate had known Esposito for longer and Rick was closer to him than Ryan.

Ryan was incredibly understanding when he found out, and was not at all offended. Plus, he figured Esposito and Lanie would be able to handle things together perfectly.

Lanie, Alexis, and Jenny were the bridesmaids.

Javier, Kevin, and Alexis' new boyfriend Eric were the groomsmen.

They were only inviting close family and friends. They both agreed that they wanted an intimate wedding.

Castle's other two weddings were not special to him, but he wanted this one to be.

He's marrying Kate Beckett. The most extraordinary woman he's ever met. The love of his life. His always. He knows she likes intimate, so he's going to give that to her.

With Meredith, they had run out to Vegas and signed a document in a matter of hours after finding out she was pregnant with Alexis. They hadn't had a ceremony and at the time, they didn't really care.

With Gina, they had a huge ceremony. They had gotten married in Central Park and had the reception there as well. It was all very public and the paparazzi and tabloids were all there to cover every second.

This time, they were having their ceremony and reception at their Hamptons home, so they would get married on the beach. No paparazzi, no reporters. Just them and everyone they loved.

* * *

"Hey babe, I'm going out dress shopping with Martha, Alexis, Jenny, and Lanie. I'll call you later, okay?" Kate said, strolling into Castle's office and pecking him on the cheek. She was about to walk away to leave when he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"One, you look so _hot_. Those jeggings and heels, holy shit. I want to drag you back to the bedroom. And two, are you sick or something? You just called me "babe"."

She blushed. "I didn't even realize I did that... oops. Whatever, I've got to go. See you later." She leaned down to kiss his lips and then she was gone.

* * *

"Hello ladies, welcome to Brides' Boutique. Who is the lovely bride?" a nice woman named Emily asks. The girls point at Kate and they all introduce themselves and converse about Kate's color, style, and budget options.

"Well, I really like coral for the bridesmaid's dresses, and the style of the dresses doesn't matter to me; as long as they look good. As far as budget, I don't really have one. I'm getting married to a best-selling author." Kate laughs.

"_Oh my gosh_, you're Richard Castle's fiancée! I knew you looked familiar! Congratulations!" Emily said.

"Thank you! So, what do you guys think?" Kate asks the women. They all agreed with Kate's suggestions so she let them go off and look for dresses.

* * *

She searched the bridal gowns and was overwhelmed by all of the choices. There were so many beautiful dresses. Kate didn't know how she was going to find one, but she knew hers was here somewhere.

Alexis, Lanie, and Jenny all came running toward Kate with at least ten dresses in each of their arms. She smiled and told them to go try them on and come out and show her each one, unless they were completely hideous.

Kate sat down on the couch with a bottle of water and checked her phone. She had twelve texts from her desperate fiancé telling her to send him a picture of her dress or to come home because he was bored. She laughed and threw her phone back in her purse just as the girls came back out in the dresses. Alexis really liked the one she had on but Lanie and Jenny agreed that it would not look good on them. They went back in and came out several more times in different dresses and didn't like any of them.

During the seventh round of dress modeling, Jenny came out with the girls in a dress that they all loved. It was a short, coral dress that flowed to just above the knee. It was belted just below the bust and it had a one-shoulder strap. It was perfect.

Emily ran to get the dresses in Lanie and Alexis' size and brought them to the ladies. They all put them on and came out together.

A tear slid down Kate's cheek as she saw her two best friends and her soon to be step-daughter in their bridesmaid dresses for her wedding. It was all starting to become so real.

The girls changed back into their regular clothes and were now running around the store, looking for dresses for Kate.

* * *

Martha came up to Kate and greeted her before saying, "I found a dress for me that I think is just _absolutely exquisite_, but I want your approval. Come here darling, I want to put it on and show you."

Kate nodded and followed her back to the area where she was watching her bridesmaids model their dresses earlier. She sat back down on the couch and waited for Martha to come out of the fitting room.

Martha came out and Kate gasped. She had chosen a floor-length, cap sleeve dress, which was the same fabric as the girls' dresses. It was very flowy and the same coral color.

"I wanted the same color as the bridesmaids, but I still wanted to stand out a bit as the mother of the groom, you know?" She noticed Kate's expression and stopped.

"Is everything alright, Katherine?"

"You look amazing, Martha. I think this dress is perfect on you. Get it."

Martha smiled and squeezed Kate's shoulder before saying, "Go find a wedding dress. I'll go change and join you in a few."

She nodded and returned to the racks.

* * *

Between the five women, Kate had twenty-seven wedding dresses to try on. The women were so excited for her that they practically pushed her into the fitting room.

Kate had tried on nine dresses and none of them had been "her". She had liked a few, but the girls had been quick to point out the things that didn't look right or didn't seem like her style. Kate had an amazingly toned, skinny body. She was easily able to fit into any dress, but there were just a few things that didn't look or seem right.

The tenth dress Kate tried on made her speechless. Looking in the mirror, she was completely in awe of herself.

She knew, right in that moment, that she was going to walk down the aisle and marry Richard Castle in _that dress_.

* * *

**I know for a fact that you guys are going to hate me for leaving it off here! **

**But don't worry; chapter fourteen will pick up right from the end of this one.**

**Review?(:**


	14. Chapter 14

**This one is kind of short… sorry about that. Chapter fifteen is going to be kind of hard to write though so I need to get this out first!**

**I wanted to give a special thank you to the people that review this story. I have noticed a lot of the same names reviewing it every chapter and it makes me really happy to see that people love this story as much as I do. So thanks, guys! (:**

**Disclaimer: Maybe Marlowe and I are distant relatives. Doubt it.**

* * *

_Previously… _

_Between the five women, Kate had twenty-seven dresses to try on. The women were so excited for her that they practically pushed her into the fitting room. _

_Kate had tried on nine dresses and none of them had been "her". She had liked a few, but the girls had been quick to point out the things that didn't look right or didn't seem like her style. Kate had an amazingly toned, skinny body. She was easily able to fit into any dress, but there were just a few things that didn't look or seem right. _

_The tenth dress Kate tried on made her speechless. Looking in the mirror, she was completely in awe of herself. _

_She knew, right in that moment, that she was going to walk down the aisle and marry Richard Castle in that dress. _

* * *

She loved the dress more than anything in the world, and she knew Lanie, Alexis, Martha, and Jenny would, too.

Emily came in the fitting room to see her staring at herself in awe and she gasped.

"Kate, this dress is absolutely gorgeous on you! What do you think?"

"I... I love it. It's perfect," she said as a tear slid down her cheek.

"Let's go show the girls!" Emily said, putting her hand on Kate's back and softly pushing her toward the door.

When Kate stepped out, every woman's jaw dropped. The dress was a perfect fit.

It was a strapless dress; tight until her hip where it flared out. There was a slit that went to her right hip and underneath was poufy lace with some sequins on it, which made the dress flare out. There was a feather and flower ball at the top of the slit.

"So, what do you think?" Kate asked, smiling.

"Girl, you look perfect. Writer Boy is going to love it," Lanie said.

"You look gorgeous, Kate. This dress is perfect on you." Alexis said in awe.

"I love it!" Jenny squealed.

"My son is one lucky man, Kate!" Martha exclaimed.

Another tear slid down Kate's cheek. At this moment, everyone she loved was here with her. Except for one person; her mother. Kate always imagined wedding dress shopping with her mother. They always used to joke about how Kate wanted a purple wedding dress and seven inch heels.

But her mother wasn't here. She couldn't do these things with Kate. She missed her so much.

Lanie knew exactly what was going through Kate's mind, so she stood up and placed her hand on her back.

"I know you miss her, honey. And I know you want her here. But she is looking down on you right now, and she is so happy and so incredibly proud of you. She may not be with us, but she is still here, every step of the way."

Kate sniffled and wiped a tear. "Thanks, Lanie," she said, before wrapping her best friend in an embrace.

"Anything for you, honey."

* * *

Emily returned to see Kate and the women accompanying her all watching her twirl and admire the dress.

"What do you think, Kate?" she asked.

Kate looked at the women around her and a huge smile broke out on her face.

"I'm getting married in this dress!" she yelled.

The girls all squealed and stood up to give Kate a huge group hug.

* * *

Emily found a few veils and slid them on Kate's head for her to look at. The first few didn't really go with the dress and Kate didn't really like them, but the fourth one she put on was perfect. It was just a comb veil that slid into Kate's hair and stayed in place. It was a velvety, lacey fabric that went down to her backside and to her stomach in front.

"I love it," Kate whispered.

"Okay, then it's settled, my dear! You have a dress and a veil!" Emily said.

Kate went back to change and when she came out, the girls were all staring at her with smiling faces.

Maybe her mom wasn't here to share in all of this with her, but having Martha, Alexis, Lanie, and Jenny there made it an amazing experience nonetheless.

* * *

Kate stepped in the door and put her stuff down. She toed her shoes off and started to walk into the kitchen when out of nowhere, Rick scooped her up and spun around with her in his arms.

"Rick! What are you doing?" she laughed.

"We're getting married! And you bought a dress today! I'm so excited, Kate!" he yelled.

"Castle, put me down! Ahhh!" she screeched.

He laughed and set her down before cupping her cheeks and kissing her. She immediately opened her mouth to him and let his tongue slide in to dance with hers.

"Mmmm," Kate moaned. She smiled into their kiss and pulled back.

She stared into his eyes and he saw her expression grow serious.

"I need to go see my mom soon. I realized how much I really miss her today when I was shopping for dresses. Do you think you can... do you want to... can you go with me? I want you to meet her."

"I would love to meet her, Kate. Of course I'll go with you."

A smile broke out on her face and she leaned in to kiss him again.

"I love you, Richard Castle," she murmured against his lips.

"I love you, too, Katherine Castle."

* * *

**Next chapter is going to be Kate and Rick going to her mom's grave. I haven't written it yet. I'm trying to emotionally prepare myself first… **

**I posted a picture of the bridesmaids' dress and Kate's wedding dress on my twitter. Follow me Rachel_Jamrose**

**Review?(:**


	15. Chapter 15

**I wrote this at one in the morning a few nights ago and I was a sobbing mess. I'm not sure if you guys will like this chapter… a girl can hope!**

**Disclaimer: My birthday's on the 18****th****! Can someone get me the rights to Castle? **

* * *

_Previously… _

"_I need to go see my mom soon. I realized how much I really miss her today when I was shopping for dresses. Do you think you can... do you want to... can you go with me? I want you to meet her." _

_"I would love to meet her, Kate. Of course I'll go with you." _

_A smile broke out on her face and she leaned in to kiss him again. _

_"I love you, Richard Castle," she murmured against his lips. _

_"I love you, too, Katherine Castle."_

* * *

It had been three days since Kate asked Rick to go to her mother's grave with her and they had decided to go.

"Ready?" she asked. She came out of the bathroom in black shorts and a light purple flowy top. Her hair was up in a high pony tail and she was wearing zebra print flats.

He just stared at her.

"What?" she asked, giggling.

"Why do you always have to look so damn perfect?" he asked, exasperated.

"Oh, shut up," she said, blushing. "I do not always look perfect."

"Uh, yeah you do. Even when you have no makeup on, your hair in a messy bun, and one of my ragged tee shirts on, you still manage to look perfect."

She was blushing before, but now she felt her entire face turn hot and red.

"Well thank you, Castle. That's really sweet," she said, rising on her toes to kiss him.

"Should we go?" she asked.

"Yeah, but let me grab something first."

He ran and grabbed a huge bouquet of flowers out of the pantry. There were at least three dozen different colored dyed Gerber daises. He ran back over to her and said, "Alright, now I'm ready."

She just stood there in shock. He grabbed her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "What's wrong, Kate?"

"Nothing, I just... are those for my mom?"

"Of course. I figured I had to bring something. I want to make a good first impression."

She smiled at him, "And how did you know her favorite flower was a Gerber daisy?"

"You mentioned it once a long time ago. When you asked me to come with you I figured it was the least I could do."

Kate was standing here with her fiancé, getting ready to go visit her mother's grave, and he had had the consideration to go out and buy her favorite flowers. And he knew which flowers she loved because Kate and mentioned it once. Once. How did she get so lucky?

* * *

Kate was fidgeting a lot in the cab on the way to the cemetery. She couldn't sit still. He had his arm around her and she was leaning into his side, so he could feel her every move.

"Hey, we don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know," he whispered to her soothingly.

"I know. And it's not that I don't want to, I just always get like this before I go to see her. It's not nervousness or anything, it's just this weird, indescribable feeling, I don't know."

"That's understandable. But you'll tell me if you want to go leave, right?"

"Of course. Thanks," she said with a weak smile.

He kissed her cheek before saying, "Anything for you, Kate."

* * *

They pulled up to the cemetery and Rick quickly paid the driver, grabbed the flowers, and hopped out of the car with Kate.

Kate intertwined their fingers and they silently made their way to the headstone. Kate stopped them in front of it and he instantly saw her become teary-eyed. He gave her hand a squeeze to let her know that he was there for her.

"Hi, Mom," she started.

"I uh, I'm sorry I haven't been over to see you in awhile. Life's been pretty crazy lately. But uh, I brought someone to meet you today. I find it funny that I'm introducing you to him. You read all of his books and you encouraged me to do so, too. He knows I love them, but he doesn't know that his words saved me. They saved me after you left, Mom. His books helped me cope with what had happened to you, and I could never thank him enough for that."

She looked up at him to see the shocked expression on his face. She smiled and nodded at him before continuing.

"Mom, meet Richard Castle, your favorite author, and my boyfriend."

He smiled and waved as if she was right in front of them.

"Actually, I lied. He's my fiancé, Mom. We're getting married. I still can't believe it sometimes. I often wonder how I got so lucky. He's absolutely perfect, Mom. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life and I owe it all to him. He pulled me out of the dark hole I was in and completely crashed through the walls that were keeping him at a distance. At first, I was so annoyed by him that I couldn't wait for him to leave, but now I can't leave his side for more than five minutes. He's the love of my life, Mom. Every day I fall more and more in love with this man. He's amazing. I really wish you were here to formally meet him. I love him more than anything on this planet."

The tears were flowing freely as she spoke with so much honesty and compassion. She had totally poured her heart out, and she had done it right in front of him. It felt good. She was happy.

He figured her silence was a signal to talk so he placed the flowers in front of the headstone, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her temple before speaking.

"Um, hi, Mrs. Beckett. I'm Rick, as Kate already told you. You know, I'm a writer but right now I really don't know what to say. But, I do want you to know that I am one hundred percent, completely in love with your daughter. She is the most extraordinary woman I've ever met and I am so lucky to call her mine. I cannot wait to marry her. I promise you that I will love her not only for the rest of her life, but the rest of mine as well. I will do everything in my power to keep her happy and safe until my last day. You have raised an amazing woman. I wish you could be here to share in this experience with us. We'll be thinking about you, though. We love you."

He turned his head to look into Kate's eyes and he saw so much love in them. Her tears were falling rapidly and she leaned in to kiss him. Before she could, he pressed his finger to her lips and said, "Kate! Not in front of your mother!"

She giggled and said, "I don't think she'd care; she'd probably be rooting for us."

He shrugged, removed his finger, and let her lean in the rest of the way to kiss him softly.

"I have the utmost respect for your daughter, Mrs. Beckett. She is incredible, and so are you. It was nice to finally meet you."

Kate released herself from his embrace and moved toward the headstone. She kissed her hand and placed it on the headstone before saying, "I told you he was perfect. I love him so much, Mom, I can't even express how much. We'll be back soon, okay? Maybe by then I'll be a married woman," she said with a wink. "Love you."

She grabbed Castle's hand and turned to walk away, trying to keep her tears at bay but failing once again.

"Bye, see you soon," he said, waving to the headstone.

He called a cab and while they waited for it, he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into him as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear.

"I love you," he heard her whisper between cries.

"I love you, too, baby. Thank you for letting me meet her, Kate. She would be so proud of you. Always."

* * *

**Let the tears fall where they may.**

**Random question: Has anyone ever heard of the comedian Jim Gaffigan? He's my absolute favorite, and I'm about to leave to go see his show! I'm so excited!**

**Anyway… Review?(:**


	16. Chapter 16

**AWH. Most reviewers said that they and loved Chapter 15 and cried while reading it.**

**I was really touched by one particular review. They wrote, "Wow, you just wrote THE "Castle meeting her mom" scene I've always envisioned. Others may have come close, but yours is perfect." This means so much to me. Thank you!**

**Well, here's Chapter 16!**

**Disclaimer: I don't think I would be flipping my shit about possibly getting the 6x01 promo tomorrow if I owned Castle. **

* * *

_She grabbed Castle's hand and turned to walk away, trying to keep her tears at bay but failing once again. _

_"Bye, see you soon," he said, waving to the headstone. _

_He called a cab and while they waited for it, he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into him as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. _

_"I love you," he heard her whisper between cries. _

_"I love you too, baby. Thank you for letting me meet her, Kate. She would be so proud of you. Always."_

* * *

"Castle, c'mon! We've got to go! We're supposed to meet with the wedding planner at one and it's already twelve thirty!"

"I'm coming! Sorry, my hair didn't want to cooperate!"

She snorted. "Sometimes I wonder who's the female in this relationship."

He gave her an exasperated look. "Oh, it's definitely you. May I remind you how long it took you to do _your_ hair yesterday morning?"

She smacked him on the arm. "Oh, shut up. Can we just go, please?"

"Anything for you, darling," he said, grabbing her hand to lace her fingers and kissing her cheek.

She smiled and walked out the door with him to the elevator. They rode it down to the ground floor and made their way to the town car awaiting them.

They sat down and Castle gave the driver, Thomas, the address. They rode in comfortable silence, their laced fingers sitting on Kate's thigh.

* * *

They pulled up in front of the building and jumped out to run in the doors.

"Mr. Castle and Miss Beckett?" the woman behind the desk asked.

"Yes, that's us," Kate responded.

The woman came around from the desk and offered each of them her hand to shake. "I'm Rachel. It's great to meet you guys! This is an honor; I'm really excited to plan the wedding of my favorite author and his muse! You guys are a great couple."

Rachel saw the looks on their faces and felt like she had overstepped. "Um, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to just blurt all of that out... How about you follow me to the back room?"

They both smiled and nodded in understanding before thanking her and following her to the room in the back.

The couple gasped as they saw all of the cakes, favors, and other decorations on display around them.

"So, I know that you told me that the bridesmaid's dresses and groomsmen's ties are coral, so I figured that sea foam green and white could be your accent colors. They go well with the coral and they will look really classy," Rachel explained.

"I like that. Everything looks amazing in here," Kate replied with a wide smile.

"Great! Shall we decide on decorations first?" Rachel asked.

"Sounds good to me," Castle replied.

They chose to have white and sea foam lantern lights put out on the deck and around the beach for the reception, and they would have an arc decorated with assorted white flowers for the ceremony.

They would have normal seating for their small group of guests with a traditional aisle and rows of chairs.

* * *

"What color do you want your bouquets to be?" Rachel asked.

"I was thinking white and maybe a few coral flowers mixed in or something. What do you think?" Kate asked the wedding planner.

"I can do white and mix in coral and sea foam if you want. It would look cute with the dresses and the favors," she replied.

"Perfect!"

* * *

"Have you decided on a cake flavor?" Rachel asked.

"Red velvet," they responded in unison.

"Mmmm, good choice," she responded. "Want to try it first?"

They nodded in response and Rachel handed them a plate with a slice of the cake and a fork.

Castle fed Kate a bite from the fork before tasting it himself and they both moaned in pleasure of the delicate, sweet taste of the cake. It was perfect.

"Oh yeah, this is definitely our cake," Castle said.

"How many tiers do you want?" Rachel asked.

They had display cakes ranging from one to six tiers.

"I think we should have two tiers. What do you think, Rick?"

"I agree."

"Okay, two tiers it is!" Rachel responded.

* * *

They made their last few decoration and setup decisions before leaving. Castle got a hand shake and Kate got a hug as they left.

They really liked Rachel. She was thorough and seemed like she really cared for them. They could tell that she really wanted to make sure everything was planned the way it should be.

Kate felt good. They were getting married in a month and they were practically ready to go.

* * *

After their day of wedding planning and a nice dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant, they decided to go to sleep early. They were spooned up in bed, having a conversation.

"I can't believe we're getting married in less than a month. It feels like we just got engaged yesterday," Kate said, toying with her engagement ring on her finger.

"I know. It's crazy. I'm a lucky man," Rick replied, tightening his grip on her waist and placing a gentle kiss on her neck.

She smiled and turned to kiss his lips. She placed her hand on his face and let him deepen the kiss. His tongue made its way into her open mouth and he bit down gently on her bottom lip as she moaned into the kiss.

They parted for air and he kissed his way down her neck, nibbling and sucking her smooth, beautifully scented skin.

She turned her body and threw her right leg over him, straddling him.

Clothes flew and bodies meshed as they made love to each other.

* * *

**Okay, I know what you're thinking. "This chick is so lame. She made a character for herself in her own story."**

**_I'm_**** the author. I can do whatever the hell I want! Haha, but no seriously. I made her a fangirl and everything. ****_She_**** is ****_me_****. Deal with it. (; **

**Anyway… Review?(: **


	17. Chapter 17

**You may all die from reading this chapter… heheee(:**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, I wouldn't be broke like I am now.**

* * *

_Previously… _

_After their day of wedding planning and a nice dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant, they decided to go to sleep early. They were spooned up in bed, having a conversation. _

_"I can't believe we're getting married in less than a month. It feels like we just got engaged yesterday," Kate said, toying with her engagement ring on her finger. _

_"I know. It's crazy. I'm a lucky man," Rick replied, tightening his grip on her waist and placing a gentle kiss on her neck. _

_She smiled and turned to kiss his lips. She placed her hand on his face and let him deepen the kiss. His tongue made its way into her open mouth and he bit down gently on her bottom lip as she moaned into the kiss. _

_They parted for air and he kissed his way down her neck, nibbling and sucking her smooth, beautifully scented skin. _

_She turned her body and threw her right leg over him, straddling him. _

_Clothes flew and bodies meshed as they made love to each other. _

* * *

Kate's eyes fluttered open and she comfortably sighed. She turned her head to look at the clock on the bedside table. 10:18.

She went to grab her phone and she found a note on the table from Castle. It read, "Going out with Esposito to finish up some last minute things. See you later. Have fun with Lanie!"

She threw the covers off of her and went to start the coffee pot. She stood by the window and took in the nice October morning. It really was beautiful.

They were getting married in four days! She couldn't believe it.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and was about to take a sip when she felt the bile rise in her stomach. She immediately stood up from the chair and bolted to the bathroom. She held her hair with one hand and braced her other hand against the toilet seat as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl.

She sat on the floor of the bathroom once she was done and contemplated what could've caused her sudden upheaval.

She really hasn't eaten much in the past few days, as she had been wrapped up in a tough, long case which had finally been solved yesterday. She also knew she didn't have the flu; she had been feeling fine and didn't feel under the weather now.

Wait, was she...? Did she miss...? She gasped as the thought crossed her mind.

* * *

She jumped in the shower and once she finished, she threw on clothes and brushed her hair before running out the door.

The drugstore was only a block away from the loft, which was very convenient for Kate.

She ran to the aisle and grabbed three different brands before running back to the front and paying for them. The cashier gave her a knowing smile and said. "Good luck," before Kate ran back out to the loft.

She unlocked the door to the loft and ran straight to the bathroom. She pulled out the boxes and ripped them open.

She did what the boxes said to do and then she sat there, waiting.

She was hoping that this wasn't happening. What would Castle say? They weren't even married yet! They haven't had this talk. Did he want it? She did, but not now!

This was the moment of truth. She looked down and her eyes widened in shock.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

She was pregnant.

* * *

Kate sat in the middle of their bathroom floor, crying. She was clutching the pregnancy tests tight to her chest. She couldn't believe it.

This was the last thing she needed right now. She was already super stressed out about the wedding and now she's pregnant. She'd been on the pill; how did this happen? This had to be a mistake.

She heard a knock on the door so she quickly wiped her eyes. Anyone who saw her could definitely tell she had been crying; there was no hiding it.

She made her way to the door and opened it to see Lanie standing before her. She had a smile on her face that immediately changed to concern when she saw her best friend.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked.

Kate didn't say a word, she just gestured for her to follow her to the bathroom. When Lanie followed her in, Kate pointed at the positive pregnancy tests on the counter.

Kate had never seen Lanie's eyes widen so far.

"Oh my God, Kate, congratulations! But wait, why aren't you excited about this?" the medical examiner asked.

"I am happy; I've always wanted to be a mom. But, Castle and I have never talked about kids. I'm worried that he's not going to be happy about it. We're not even married yet, Lanie. What if he doesn't want a kid right now?"

Lanie grabbed her friend by the hand and brought her back into the bedroom to sit on the edge of the bed. She turned so she was facing Kate, never losing her grip on her hands.

"Do you see the way he looks at Alexis? That man loves his kid, Kate. Do you see the way he looks at you? He loves you, too. When he finds out, I promise you he'll be happy. He gets to have a kid with someone he loves more than anything, Kate. And that child will have the same special treatment that he gives Alexis. He could never be upset about this. I'm sure he's going to be ecstatic."

Kate contemplated Lanie's words. "Maybe you're right."

"Maybe? Oh please, you know I'm right," Lanie responded with a quirked eyebrow.

"Can you run a blood test? I don't want to tell Castle until I'm one hundred percent sure."

"Of course. We can stop at the morgue after we pick up your dress. Speaking of which, we'd better go. Are you ready?" Lanie asked.

"Uh yeah, let me just grab some stuff first."

Kate gathered up all of the pregnancy tests and the boxes. She threw the tests in her purse and the boxes back in the plastic bag from the drugstore. They headed out the door and Kate threw the plastic bag in the dumpster outside before they left to go to the bridal shop.

* * *

"Hello, Kate! Ready to do the last fitting for your dress?" Emily said.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Kate said, now in better spirits since the ride to the shop with Lanie. She kept Kate laughing the entire way, knowing that she had to be happy about this. She knew Castle was going to be excited that Kate was pregnant.

"Oh girl, you are so gorgeous," Lanie said in awe. Kate made her way over to her in the dress, smiling from ear to ear. A tear slid down the bride's cheek. She immediately placed her hand on her abdomen and smiled.

"I'm getting married and I'm pregnant. This is crazy," she said with a laugh. "I never thought I'd be one of those women."

Lanie stood to give her best friend a huge hug. "You look great, girl. Now go take that thing off and we'll confirm that you're going to have Writer Boy's baby."

* * *

Lanie rubbed Kate's arm with alcohol and then stuck the needle in. She drew enough blood and prepared it for testing.

"How long will it take?" Kate asked.

"I'm going to put a rush on it. My best lab tech, Morgan, is here, so I'll have her do the test immediately and she should be able to give me the results by the end of the day."

Kate was shocked. She didn't know that blood could be tested so quickly. She was going to find out by the end of the day if she really was pregnant.

"Oh, wow. Okay."

Lanie could see the worry appear on the detective's face once again. "Hey, it's going to be fine, okay? I promise you that either way, Castle will be so happy. Let's go get some dinner. Sound good to you?"

Kate nodded and followed her friend out of the morgue mindlessly.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Doctor Parish? Hi, it's Morgan. I just wanted to let you know that the results of the blood test are in. But first, may I ask why I am testing Detective Beckett's blood?"

"She... never mind that right now. Did you log this test?"

"Not yet, why?"

"Don't. Just throw everything out after this call. It'll be our little secret, okay?"

The lab tech hesitated before responding, "Okay. So everything looks good and normal, but there's just one thing."

"What?" Lanie asked.

"She's pregnant."

* * *

**PLOT TWIST.**

**I'm going to go hide and wait for the reviews…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Who watched The Bachelorette last night just to see the promo? And then who was thoroughly disappointed when it was just a teaser? I wasn't mad about it; I thought it was cute, but it definitely wasn't what I expected... **

**Anyway, here's Chapter 18! **

**Disclaimer: School starts on the 15th. Sigh. Since I'm still in school I obviously don't own Castle**.

* * *

_Previously..._

_"Doctor Parish? Hi, it's Morgan. I just wanted to let you know that the results of the blood test are in. But first, may I ask why I'm testing Detective Beckett's blood?"_

_"She... never mind that right now. Did you log this test?"_

_"Not yet, why?" _

_"Don't. Just throw everything out after this call. It'll be our little secret, okay?" _

_The lab tech hesitated before responding, "Okay. So everything looks good and normal, but there's just one thing." _

_"What?" Lanie asked. _

_"She's pregnant." _

* * *

"Have fun, but not too much fun," Kate said to Castle.

"You're the only person I'll ever have _too much fun_ with," Castle said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes at him and leaned in to kiss him passionately.

He kissed her back hard and when he pulled away, he had to untangle his hand from her hair.

"Until tomorrow, love."

She pressed another quick kiss against his lips before letting him walk out the door and closing it behind him.

Castle, Esposito, Ryan, Jim, and Alexis' boyfriend Eric were going up to the Hamptons today to spend the day at the house relaxing and to go boating on the ocean. They were going to stay there and prep for the wedding.

* * *

Kate hopped in the shower and got ready quickly. She packed her last few things and put on an orange sundress. As soon as she wheeled her suitcase out into the living room, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Hey girl!" the always cheerful Lanie squealed, pulling her best friend in for a hug. "Ready to get this bachelorette party on the road?"

"Look Lanie, I don't know if I can-"

"Relax, girl," the medical examiner cut her off. "I've planned a very nice, fun, and relaxing day for you. We're not going to do anything that's going to hurt your little Castle Junior," she said, gently patting Kate's still flat belly.

Kate smiled and thanked her friend before leaving the loft.

* * *

They pulled up to Euphoria Spa where Alexis, Martha, and Jenny were already there waiting for them. They went inside and Lanie checked in, letting the receptionist know that they were all there.

The five women all received facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures. After five hours at the spa, they left feeling relaxed and happy.

* * *

They went to Kate's favorite restaurant and when the women (besides Alexis, of course) had ordered drinks, Kate became nervous. Lanie was the only person who knew that Kate was pregnant, and she didn't want anyone else to know until Castle found out. What was she going to do?

"I'll just have an iced tea, thanks," she said.

The other women all looked at Kate a bit stunned, but the understanding quickly and discreetly made its way across Lanie's face.

"You're not going to have a drink, dear? This is your bachelorette party! Let loose, darling!" Martha exclaimed.

"I uh... I've just had this weird taste for iced tea lately. Maybe I'll get a drink later," she replied with a slight stutter.

Martha knew something else was up, but she didn't want to pester Kate, so she just decided to let it go. The other two women let Kate's explanation be enough for them as they concentrated on their menus again.

They all ate, drank, and talked happily about the wedding and other things involving their lives before they decided to head out to the Hamptons.

Kate and Rick were being traditional; they were sleeping separately the night before the ceremony. The men were all staying in the house and the women were all staying at a huge suite in a hotel in the Hamptons.

* * *

"I have one more surprise for you, girl," Lanie said as they were driving through the Hamptons.

They pulled up to an unmarked building. Kate had no clue where they were, which made her a bit suspicious. The other women all had smirks on their faces, so it was obvious that Kate was the only one that was oblivious to what was going on.

Lanie told the girl at the door who they were and she told them all to follow her. They weaved their way through a few hallways before they stopped and the lady opened the door for them. There were five chairs in a line in the center of the room and a pole in one of the corners. Kate's eyes widened. She knew exactly why they were there and she did not like it at all.

Immediately seeing Kate tense up, Alexis leaned in to her and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Kate. It's not as bad as you think. I had to approve this too, remember? It's going to be fine."

Alexis' words reassured Kate as they all sat down in the chairs. They sat there and looked around for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door and five good looking, amazingly toned, muscular guys walked in.

"Hey girls. I'm Brett, and this is Mark, Matt, Nathan, and Noah. We're all here today to teach you ladies some moves. Who's the bride?"

Kate raised her hand timidly and Brett walked over to her chair. He reached his hand out for her and she hesitated for a second before taking it and standing.

"Your name is?" he asked.

"Kate," she replied.

"Okay, Kate. You're going to be with Mark." He led her over to, in her opinion, the best looking guy in the room. "Introduce yourselves, get to know each other, get cozy, because you will be with your partner constantly for the next couple of hours."

Lanie was with Noah, Jenny was with Matt, Martha was with Nathan, and Alexis was with Brett.

They all became acquainted with their partners and Brett turned on some music. They all started dancing to the upbeat tunes and were all having a good time together when Brett spoke up again.

"Okay ladies, I sure hope you all know how to grind. Grab your partners and let's see what you've got. And ladies, I know most of you are probably in relationships, but don't worry. This does not in any way break your trust with your significant others, nor does it make you a cheater. This is for pure fun only."

Everyone grabbed their partners and started to grind in time to the music with them. Kate let Mark grab her hips as she lowered her backside down onto his front. She circled her hips to the music, moving his hips with her.

At first, Kate felt a little uncomfortable dancing so close with some random guy that she had just met, but when she looked at all of her smiling, laughing, dancing friends around her, she let herself go and had fun with the dancing.

Plus, this was helping her perfect herself for Castle.

The women had an amazing night of grinding, pole dancing (which all the women were shocked that Kate was the best at), lap dancing, and even learning some crazy sex positions that the guys thought the women could use for the men in their lives.

The men congratulated Kate and they all kissed their partners on the cheeks before leaving. It was already eleven o'clock, so the women decided to make their way to the hotel for the night.

* * *

They got to their suite and settled in. They got ready for bed and discussed everything for the next day before heading off to their separate rooms within the suite.

When Kate opened her bedroom door, she saw a small box and an envelope addressed to her sitting on her bed. She opened the envelope first and smiled as she noticed Castle's familiar handwriting.

_Hey, gorgeous, _

_Wow. We're getting married tomorrow. I had a blast with the guys today but I've really missed my girl. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. You're going to look so beautiful. _

_I saw this the other day and I remember you saying something a while ago about always wanting one, because your mom had one and you always loved it. I figured it was perfect for you so, here you go. I hope you like it._

_Just think, in twenty-four hours, we'll be married. _

_Until tomorrow, _

_Rick_

Kate picked up the small box and opened it. She gasped as she saw the beautiful Tiffany necklace. It was just like the one her mom had. She took it out of the box and looked at it closely.

A tear slid down her cheek when she saw the engraving into the back of the small heart.

Always 10.12.13

She knew it was going to be hard to sleep tonight. Not only because she was so excited, but because he wasn't there to hold her and love her.

But tomorrow, she would be his.

Forever.

Always.

* * *

**I think this chapter kind of sucked. But... oh well. **

**Euphoria Spa is a legit spa in New York.**

**I don't know if anyone saw the connection... but the five guys in this chapter are all named after actors that Stana has worked with. **

**Brett is Brett Tucker. He played Colin Hunt on Castle. **

**Mark is Mark Polish. He played Yves in For Lovers Only. **

**Nathan is Nathan Fillion. He plays Richard Castle on Castle (duhhh).**

**Noah is Noah Wyle. He played Flynn Carsen in The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice.**

**Matt is Matt Bomer. He played Superman/Clark Kent in Superman: Unbound.**

**(All five of them are very attractive.) (; **

**There you have it! **

**Review?(: **


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, so a few people freaked out about Chapter 18, with the guys and the pole dancing and stuff. Not to be rude, but this is fanfiction. I understand that I ask for reviews and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you're going to leave me a huge review of why my chapter sucked, please just PM me, or don't say anything at all. Constructive criticism is fantastic, but downright bashing my story does not. I understand that the whole thing was very OOC, but c'mon. It's a bachelorette party. They needed to do something wild. **

**Okay, sorry if that pissed people off even more. Like I said, everyone is entitled to their opinion. **

**If you review my story and you always leave nice reviews, then for this I want to say THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU. Like a lot. **

**Now, for the good stuff! **

**Disclaimer: Sigh... If only. **

* * *

_Previously... _

_Kate picked up the small box and opened it. She gasped as she saw the beautiful Tiffany necklace. It was just like the one her mom had. She took it out of the box and looked at it closely. _

_A tear slid down her cheek as she saw the engraving into the back of the small heart. _

_Always 10.12.13 _

_She knew it was going to be hard to sleep tonight. Not only because she was so excited, but because he wasn't there to hold her and love her. _

_But tomorrow, she would be his. _

_Forever. _

_Always._

* * *

"Kate. Kate, honey. It's time to get up. We've got a big day ahead of us, girl."

Kate stirred from her Castle-filled dreams and her eyes cracked open to see Lanie leaning over her with her hand on her shoulder, trying to wake her. She took in her surroundings and was a bit confused before it hit her.

She was getting married today.

She shot straight up in bed with a huge smile on her face.

"Shower time! I ordered room service so when you get out there will be coffee and breakfast. Let's go girl!" Lanie said, smacking Kate's butt as she made her way to the bathroom.

Kate looked back at her best friend with narrowed eyes before shutting the door behind her.

* * *

She showered and while she was letting the water fall down her naked body, she reflected on the day ahead. She was about to marry the man of her dreams.

She finished up in the shower, washed her face, brushed her hair, and got dressed before coming out to meet the other girls.

They all talked, drank their coffees, and ate their muffins.

"I can't believe I'm getting married today, guys. This is crazy," Kate said with a wide smile. Ever since she woke up she hasn't been able to keep the smile off of her face.

They finished eating and Kate packed her things to leave the hotel. She was staying in the Hamptons house for the rest of the time, so she packed up to leave.

Once she was ready to go, they all left to go to the salon to get their hair and make-up done.

* * *

Although she would never admit it, Kate loved being pampered. She loved when people played with her hair. She had never gotten her makeup done before, because she was quite the expert at it herself, so it was a new experience to her. She had to move her mouth a certain way, close her eyes, or look up at the ceiling when they told her to and it was really strange to her.

All of the women got their hair and makeup done and when they all saw themselves, they gasped. All five of them looked so beautiful.

Lanie, Jenny, Alexis, and Martha all had their hair curled. The three bridesmaids had a white flower pinned in their hair as well. They all got their makeup done the same way too; foundation to match their skin tones, highlighter to bring out their cheekbones and brow bones, black eyeliner on top and bottom, black mascara, pink cheeks, and coral lips to match the dresses.

When they turned to see Kate, they saw her with her hands over her mouth and tears falling down her cheeks. She looked gorgeous. Her makeup was done the same way, but her hair was different. It was curled, and then each curl was separately pinned to her head in an up do. Her hair was twisted at the crown of her head and pinned behind her ear.

"You look gorgeous, Kate," Jenny said, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Thank you guys! I just... I can't believe it. I'm getting married!" Kate squealed.

* * *

They got in the limousine and rode to Castle's beach house. Kate, Martha, and Alexis had been there before with Castle, but Lanie and Jenny hadn't. When they pulled up, their mouths dropped in awe.

"Oh my God," Lanie whispered.

Kate looked at her best friends and laughed. "I had that reaction the first time I came here, too."

After Lanie and Jenny stopped gawking, they made their way inside and upstairs to the master bedroom, where they would all get ready. Kate had called Jim as they were pulling up and he said that they were all down at the beach and were getting things ready so no one would see them. Kate had her bags brought in and put in the closet, because she and Castle were staying in the room for the next few nights.

The dresses were brought in and they all started to change.

Kate could see the guests outside on the beach. It looked like everyone was there; Her dad, the boys, Captain Gates and her husband, some other friends from the precinct, Maddie and some guy who looked to be her new beau, Captain Montgomery's wife and kids, Castle's poker buddies and fellow authors, and the mayor and his wife.

Jim didn't have any brothers or sisters, but Johanna had one sister. Kate called her Aunt Sue to invite her, her uncle, and her cousin Sarah, but they were out of the country on a vacation.

She was about to walk away from the window when she saw a white-haired man make his way to the beach. Then she saw her fiancé run up and hug him. Who was he?

* * *

The bridesmaids and Martha had all gotten their dresses on. Kate took her beautiful wedding dress out and had Lanie help her get it on. Then, Lanie slid the comb of the veil in her hair.

Kate stood in front of the large mirror in the closet and smiled widely. She was getting married.

After many "Ooh's" and Ash's" from the women, they decided to go downstairs and make sure everything was all set so they could start the ceremony. As they opened the door, Jim was making his way up the stairs.

His breath caught when he saw his daughter in her wedding dress. "Oh Katie, you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Dad," she said with a smile. She waved him back into the bedroom with her and closed the door behind her. She turned around to see her father staring at her.

"My little girl is getting married," he choked out.

She took his hands in his and squeezed them gently. "I'll always be your little girl. Even though I'm getting married, I'll always think that you're the cutest boy."

Jim chuckled at her words. When Kate was sixteen and started dating, she could see the worry in her father's eyes. Before she went out on her first date, she kissed his cheek and told him, "No matter who I date, you'll always be the cutest boy, Daddy." He never forgot those words, and obviously neither did she.

"I have something for you," he said, breaking himself from his flashback.

She looked at him in confusion as he reached in his pocket. He pulled out the one thing that Kate always had with her; her mother's ring.

"Dad, how did you-"

"Rick grabbed it off of your dresser before he left yesterday. He gave it to me in case I wanted to hold on to it today, but I realized that you are the only one that should have it."

Kate smiled and held out her right hand to him. "Put it on."

He gladly slid the ring on her ring finger and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Rick is one lucky man, Katie."

"And I am one lucky woman."

* * *

Jim helped her make her way down the stairs and into the kitchen of the house where the bridesmaids and groomsmen were waiting. Then suddenly, the white-haired man that Kate saw hug Castle outside earlier came in. He looked around at everyone and said, "Uhh, can you take Kate out of the room for a second? Rick needs to come in."

Kate nodded in confusion and made her way into the large bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Kate could hear muffled voices through the door, and then what sounded like Martha and Alexis' screeches. She was so confused. What was going on out there? Who was that man?

There was a knock on the door and Kate opened it just a crack. It was Alexis. "You can come out now, Kate. Dad's gone."

Kate stepped out of the bathroom to see the white-haired man once again, talking to Martha. Martha saw her come out of the bathroom, and she pulled the man to her.

"Katherine, there's someone you need to meet," she said.

"Hello, Kate. It's very nice to meet you. My name is Jackson Hunt. I'm Richard's father."

Kate stood there stunned. Rick never knew his father, but she remembers him briefly telling her that he met him in Paris and he had helped save Alexis.

"You're the one who saved Alexis?" she asked.

He chuckled. "I don't like to take all the credit, but yes, I did aid in the saving of my granddaughter."

"How are you here? How did you know to-"

"I was a spy, but I've retired. I realize that I've been watching everything from a distance for so long and I'm sick of it. I've missed so much of my son's life and a lot of my granddaughter's. I haven't stopped thinking about Martha since the night we made Richard and I realized that it was time to give it up."

Kate smiled widely and saw how happy Martha looked to have him there, on her arm. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

"It's so great to have you here," she said.

"Thank you. You look beautiful. Richard is very lucky," he said, kissing her hand.

She blushed and thanked him before telling him that he and Martha could walk down the aisle together in the bridal party if they wanted. They happily agreed and decided to come out right before Kate.

They all made their way outside to the area where the lawn and the beach met. The music of the three hired instrumentalists played, so they got in order to process down the aisle. Alexis and Eric were first, looking happy as ever. Jenny and Kevin were next, followed by Lanie and Esposito, the maid of honor and the best man. Martha and Jackson followed, looking so happy together.

Kate was happy for them. She hoped they could rekindle their love and get back into a relationship.

"You ready, Katie?" Jim asked.

Kate took her father's arm and smiled. "Let's do it," she said.

* * *

Kate stepped onto the sand, feeling the warm, gritty substance between her toes. They decided on no shoes for the women; it was a beach wedding, so shoes weren't really a necessity.

As soon as she came into the view of everyone, she saw jaws drop and eyes widen, but the only person she focused on was Rick. He was stunned by her beauty. She could see the love he had for her and she gave him a beaming smile back.

She loved this man. She was about to marry him.

As they made their way to the front, Rick stepped down to take Kate's hand from Jim and as her father kissed her cheek, he whispered, "I'll be over there with your mother."

Kate was confused and a little shocked by his words, so she looked over to the seats and immediately the tears welled in her eyes. The seat next to Jim had a picture of her mother and a bouquet of Gerber daises on it.

She turned to Rick. "Did you do this?" she asked.

"You constantly talk about how much you wish she could be here, so now she can."

Kate smiled and whispered an "I love you" to him before she remembered her father was still standing there.

"Take care of my little girl, Rick."

"I will, Jim. Every day for the rest of my life."

She smiled at her two favorite men. Rick walked her over to the minister.

* * *

The whole first part of the wedding felt like a haze to Kate. She was staring at Castle the whole time so she was in her own little world.

"It is time to say the vows. Richard and Katherine have decided to write their own," the minister said. "Kate, would you like to start?"

She was broken out of her reverie when the minister said her name. "Umm, sure," she said.

"Richard Castle. I really don't know what to say. You stumbled into my life five years ago, and at the time, I couldn't have hated you more for it. You were so incredibly annoying and all I wanted was to get you out. But, there always was an attraction from the start, too. I think that I was too focused on my job to notice it at first, but as I look back, I do remember you having this thing about you that I wanted. I wanted a man, not a playboy. And although that may have been your reputation, you have proven to me over the years that that isn't who you are. You are a kind, loving, caring, compassionate, intelligent, sweet man who just wants the best for the people he loves. You are an amazing man, son, and father. I have always been so bottled up, and you helped me pull the cork and let it all out. I used to have this wall built around me to keep people out; I told myself I would never fall in love because I couldn't take the pain of getting hurt. Something about you, though, made me tell myself that you could never hurt me. There's something about the way you look at me that makes me believe that our love will never die. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You are my best friend, my soul mate, my one and done. I love you."

She hadn't realized that the tears were pouring from her eyes, and when she looked up, he was crying, too. She smiled weakly and squeezed his hand.

"Rick, you may say your vows now," the minister said.

"I think you are the most remarkable, maddening, challenging, frustrating person I've ever met. Do you remember when I said that? The night that I was so scared that you were going to run after something that wasn't worth it. I thought you were going to die over a lost cause. I was so worried about you, because I had so much love for you, but there was nothing I could do about it. But then, the next night, you showed up at my door, telling me that you had finally given in to your feelings, and that you wanted me. I knew from then on that I needed to be the man to protect you, to take care of you, and to love you. What we're doing today is going to seal that deal for the rest of our lives. This will make our love equal; we can care for each other and protect each other in everything we do, forever. When I first met you, you were this tightly wound, savvy detective that wanted nothing to do with me. Sure, I was a jerk. But I was also nervous. There were so many things I wanted to say to you, but I just didn't know how to say them. To this day, you still often render me speechless. Kate, you are everything to me. I really am marrying the woman of my dreams. I love you more than words can tell. Always."

If they weren't before, the entire wedding party was crying now. Their vows had been so beautifully moving that everyone could see the love radiating between the couple.

Neither of them were very religious, but they decided that the traditional Catholic vows would work for them.

"Richard Castle, do you take Katherine Beckett to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health? Will you honor her all the days of your life?

"I do and I will," he said, sliding the ring on her finger.

"Katherine Beckett, do you take Richard Castle to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health? Will you honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do and I will, always," she said as she slid the ring on his finger.

"Hell, I know no one is going to object. By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Rick grabbed Kate, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her to him to kiss her. She let her arms snake over his shoulders as they kissed. The whole wedding party erupted in clapping, cheering, and hollering. She pulled back from him and they looked into each other's eyes and smiled brightly.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. And so does he or she," she said, patting her stomach.

His face dropped and his eyes widened. "What?"

She smiled and kissed him again. "I'm pregnant!"

By now, the crowd had quieted and were all listening in shock.

"Kate, are you serious?" he asked.

The bad thoughts came back again as she worried that he wouldn't want a baby right now. Her smile quickly faded. "Y... yes I'm serious."

Her bad thoughts faded away as he pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug. When he released her, he turned out to the crowd and said, "My wife is pregnant!"

Everyone clapped and cheered again as the party processed back down the aisle.

Rick took Kate's hand and they walked back down the aisle together. Everyone was congratulating them on the marriage and the pregnancy.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle.

* * *

**I know a lot of people wanted me to make this chapter about Rick's bachelor party, but I just couldn't do it. After all the hate I received for Chapter 18, I didn't want to go through another chapter of crap. Plus, I really wouldn't know how to write it. I couldn't include alcohol because that wouldn't be far to Jim's character, and I don't know. So sorry. **

**But yay, they're married! And she told him that she's pregnant! (There's more to come on that, by the way.) **

**The "you're the cutest boy" thing that Kate said to Jim is actually my dad and my thing. I have said that to him since I was really little and I still do to this day, especially before I go out with my boyfriend.**

**Review?(: **


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20... wow. Never thought I'd make it this far. I love you all. **

**Disclaimer: Terri Edda Miller tweeted me last night. Does that count? No? Ugh, okaaaaay.**

* * *

_Previously... _

_"I love you." _

_"I love you, too. And so does he or she," she said, patting her stomach. _

_His face dropped and his eyes widened. "What?" _

_She smiled and kissed him again. "I'm pregnant!" _

_By now, the crowd had quieted and were all listening in shock. _

_"Kate, are you serious?" he asked._

_The bad thoughts came back again as she worried that he wouldn't want a baby right now. Her smile quickly faded. "Y... yes I'm serious."_

_Her bad thoughts faded away as he pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug. When he released her he turned out to the crowd and said, "My wife is pregnant!" _

_Everyone clapped and cheered again as the party processed back down the aisle. _

_Rick took Kate's hand as they walked back the aisle together. Everyone was congratulating them on the marriage and the pregnancy. _

_Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle. _

* * *

Kate was blinded by the flashes of the camera. They had hired a professional photographer and had taken a lot of pictures.

They had taken some with the wedding party, their parents, select friends, all girls, and all guys.

Most of the pictures they had taken were just as a couple. They had taken some on the beach, on the grass, by the ocean, the usual. They took a lot of normal pictures but they also took a few funny ones for the hell of it. They also took a lot of pictures kissing and a few where Castle picked Kate up and held her bridal style.

They were about finished when Castle said, "Wait. I had something special done in the front for the pictures. Can we do it?"

The photographer and Kate happily obliged so they made their way to the front yard. Kate was a little confused and quite anxious to find out what Castle had set up for them.

She gasped when they turned the corner to the front yard. There was a huge tree in the front that had a few low branches on it, and on them he had had two swings put on.

"All of our big decision-making moments, good or bad, have happened on the swings. They are symbolic for us. It only makes sense for us to take pictures on the swings on our wedding day, the biggest decision-making day of our lives." Castle said.

A huge smile broke out on Kate's face as she cupped his face and kissed him.

They sat on the wooden swings and smiled for the camera. They held hands between the swings, pushed themselves closer together to touch and hold each other, and lastly, to drape Kate's legs over Castle's so they were linked together and they could kiss.

"That one is a keeper," the photographer smiled.

* * *

An hour later, they were ready to start the reception. They had set up a huge tent on the lawn and put up a stage and a dance floor. Castle hired a DJ, a bartender, and a few chefs.

"Can everyone take their seats, please? I would like to welcome you all to Kate and Rick's wedding reception. My name is Jim, I'm Kate's father. The bridal party is waiting on the side of the house, so how about we bring them in here?"

Everyone clapped for Jim so he started to announce the couples.

"The groom's daughter and her boyfriend, Alexis Castle and Eric Pulamen!"

"The bride and groom's best friends, Kevin and Jenny Ryan!"

"The groom's parents, Martha Rodgers and Jackson Hunt!"

"The maid of honor and the best man, Lanie Parish and Javier Esposito!"

"And last but not least, Mr. Richard Castle and Mrs. Katherine Castle!"

The guests erupted in cheers and claps as they made their way to the tent. Kate gasped when she saw the white tent all decorated with the sea foam lanterns and the coral and white party favors.

"C'mon you two love birds, let's see a kiss," Jim yelled.

As in a usual wedding manner, everyone started tapping their glasses with their silver wear. Rick stopped Kate in the middle of the room, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her hard. He heard a soft moan escape her lips as she kissed him back and quickly ran her tongue against his closed lips before pulling apart.

* * *

Everyone was happily seated and the food was served. Kate and Rick finally sat down and when he leaned over to fill Kate's champagne glass, she stopped him.

"I can't drink, remember?" she said, placing her hand on her abdomen.

"I know," he said, turning the bottle so she could see the label. Sparkling White Grape Juice.

"You're perfect."

Someone saw them conversing and making love eyeballs at each other, so the tapping of the glasses started again and they both laughed before leaning in to kiss.

As soon as they pulled apart, Lanie stood up and took the microphone. "Hey there everyone! Hope you're enjoying yourselves. My name is Lanie Parish, I'm the maid of honor. I would like to entertain you all for a moment with a short story about our lovely bride and groom."

"Oh God, here we go," Kate whispered to her husband.

"I have known Kate for years. She was training to become a detective the same time I was training to become a medical examiner. Since those days, we have been inseparable. Kate and I have girl's night at least once a week, and we constantly see each other at work. We tell each other everything. Five years ago, Richard Castle walked into our precinct. Kate was furious. But, I saw something in her eyes I had never seen before. It was desire. Girl, I don't care what you say; you wanted him from day one. As the years went by, there were arguments between them, but mostly they would make jokes and innuendos, laugh at each other, finish each other's sentences, and do that crazy eye sex thing. It was so obvious how much he loved her, but being stubborn as she is, she was holding back. Finally, after four long years, she gave in and they got together. Their relationship was stronger than ever. They had this glow about them that lit up the room and was noticeable by everyone. They kept it out of the precinct, thank God... but Kate, don't even try to deny this... I saw you drag him into a supply closet once."

Everyone laughed at that. Kate's face was beet red. _Lanie saw that?_ Kate won't deny that that was the best quickie she had ever had, but to say that in front of her friends and family, and her coworkers? She was going to kill her.

"Basically, what I'm trying to say is that this is one of the most in love couples I've ever known. You guys are amazing together, and you both deserve happiness together for the rest of your lives. I love you both."

Lanie lifted her glass and said, "To the bride and groom!"

"To the bride and groom!" everyone repeated, thrusting their glasses in the air and taking a drink from them.

Kate and Rick kissed passionately. "To us," she whispered.

* * *

"Hi, guys. My name is Javier Esposito, I'm the best man. I am really bad at speeches; so basically, I just want to say that you two are the surrogate parents for Kevin and I. Whenever you argue, we say that mom and dad are fighting. Whenever you are happy, we comment on how mom and dad must've had a good day. And when you two kiss... we get grossed out, turn away, and say that our parents are kissing. But really, you guys are two of the best friends I've ever had. You are most loving couple I know. It's obvious how perfect you are for each other. Congratulations. I love you guys. To the bride and groom!"

Again, everyone shouted "To the bride and groom!" and Kate and Rick kissed again.

"See, I'm serious, it's gross," Espo said into the mic before putting it back on the stand.

* * *

Everyone had finished eating and the DJ's loud voice roared through the microphone. "Can I get all the ladies in the middle of the floor, please? It's time for the bride to throw the bouquet."

All of the women gathered in the middle and Kate stood by the DJ. She turned around, kissed one of the flowers in the bouquet, and threw it over her left shoulder. The women all held their hands up to catch it.

It landed in Lanie's hands. She laughed and shouted a loud "Yeah!"

"Of course, you of all people would catch it," Kate laughed.

* * *

There was a chair in the middle of the dance floor. "Kate, could you come sit down here, please?" the DJ asked.

As soon as Kate sat down, "Sexy and I Know It," started playing. She laughed as she saw Esposito pushing Castle toward her with his hands behind his back. Esposito reached in his pocket and pulled out his police cuffs and cuffed his hands. Kate laughed hysterically as she saw her husband feign sadness as he was being cuffed.

He turned toward her with a predatory look in his eyes and she smirked at him. He walked over to her slowly and stood behind her. He leaned down to bite her earlobe and she jumped.

"You like that, huh?" he asked seductively.

She didn't budge.

"We'll see about that," he said, coming back around to stand in front of her. He got down to his knees and then sat down. He scooted closer so he was right under her, and she lifted her dress over him. She immediately felt his hot breath on her leg and then her breath hitched when she felt his tongue on her left leg. Her garter was on her right leg but of course he was going to make her squirm before he got it off of her. He licked from her calf to her inner thigh and she grabbed the side of the chair, bracing herself for how high he was going to take his tongue. He stopped literally two inches from her thong-covered mound.

He moved to the calf of her right leg and did the same thing he did to her left leg, this time getting even closer to her center before moving away. She felt his teeth graze her skin as he grabbed the garter with his teeth and pulled it down her leg slowly. She lifted her leg for him and he got it off.

She lifted her dress again for him to slide out and Esposito helped him up and uncuffed him. Castle danced around to the music with the garter in his mouth and Kate just sat there, laughing. All of the men gathered into one area and Castle took it and flung it at them.

Of course, Esposito caught it.

Castle went over to Kate and helped her up to bring her into a hug. He kissed her softly and whispered, "I'll continue what I started later."

She blushed big time.

* * *

"Can Mr. and Mrs. Castle make their way out to the dance floor, please? It's time for their first dance."

Castle stood up and extended his hand for her to take as she stood. They walked to the floor together, hand in hand. The glow of the lanterns made the light beautiful against the darkness of the October night.

He pulled her to him to snake his arms around his waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Their bodies were pressed together and they swayed as the acoustic version of "Never Stop" by Safetysuit played.

They stared into each other's eyes as they listened to the lyrics.

_This is my love song to you_

_Let every woman know I'm yours_

_So you can fall asleep each night, babe_

_And know I'm dreaming of you more_

_You're always hoping that we make it_

_You always want to keep my gaze_

_Well you're the only one I see_

_And that's the one thing that won't change_

_I'll never stop trying_

_I'll never stop watching as you leave_

_I'll never stop losing my breath_

_Every time I see you looking back at me_

_I'll never stop holding your hand_

_I'll never stop opening your door_

_I'll never stop choosing you babe_

_I'll never get used to you_

_Still get my heart racing, you_

_Still get my heart racing, for you_

_Still get my heart racing, you_

_Still get my heart racing, for you_

_I'll never stop trying_

_I'll never stop watching as you leave_

_I'll never stop losing my breath_

_Every time I see you looking back at me _

_I'll never stop holding your hand_

_I'll never stop opening your door_

_I'll never stop choosing you babe_

_I'll never get used to you_

_Still get my heart racing, you_

_Still get my heart racing, for you_

_Still get my heart racing, you_

_Still get my heart racing, for you_

As the last few lines repeated and the chorus faded out, Castle leaned in to kiss his wife. She played with the hairs at the nape of his neck as she kissed him, opening her tongue to him and letting his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced on the inside just like they were doing on the outside, swaying and twirling.

When they pulled away, they noticed that the music had stopped and everyone was clapping for them.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied.

* * *

"Jim and Alexis, get out here for a father-daughter dance!"

Jim kissed Kate's cheek before placing his left hand on her waist and gripping her left hand with his right. Her right hand came to rest on her father's shoulder. Rick and Alexis did the same. The music played and they turned together on the dance floor.

The music continued and all of the couples were invited to the dance floor. Kate and Rick spent most of their time whispering sweet nothings to each other or kissing as they swayed to the music. When they pulled away from a kiss, Kate's eyes widened.

"Castle, look!"

He turned to see his parents dancing and holding each other very close. They smiled at the sight and then the look of pure shock was on their face when Martha cupped Jackson's cheeks and kissed him passionately.

Kate saw a tear slip down Castle's cheek. She wiped it from his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. It's amazing, actually. This is the first time I've ever seen my parents kiss. I really hope they get into a relationship, Kate."

"Well by the way they look right now, I think they will."

He turned back to her and smiled. Then, he chuckled. "Oh God, I so knew that was going to happen."

This time, Kate turned around to see Lanie and Esposito wrapped around each other, making out.

"They are so cute," Kate said.

"Cute? It kind of grosses me out," Castle responded.

She smacked his chest and gave him a glare.

* * *

Everyone was on the dance floor, dancing to the classic party songs among other upbeat songs. Kate was dancing around the crowd and saying hi to people, but when she made her way back to Castle, he grabbed her hips and pulled him backwards to her. Her back was to his chest and she immediately bent down and started grinding on him. He let his hips move with hers, feeling the rhythm of the song. They continued throughout the entirety of the song.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the bride, Kate Castle, up to the stage!" the DJ announced.

Everyone clapped for Kate as she made her way up to the stage. She grabbed the microphone and said, "Thanks. Uhh, well I don't know what you all have heard, but basically, five years ago I was really bottled up. I didn't want to succumb to my feelings and I didn't let people into my life. Well, over the course of those five years, Rick has completely broken down those walls and has more or less forced himself into my life. And for that, I could not be any more grateful. I was drowning, but he has been my savior. Rick, my love, my life, my husband, this is for you."

The music started and she took a deep breath before letting her perfect voice flow into the microphone and through the speakers.

_Shed no tears for me_

_They'll be rain enough today_

_I'm wishing you godspeed_

_As I wave you on your way_

_This won't be the first time_

_I've stayed behind to face_

_The bitter consequences_

_Of an ancient fall from grace_

_I'm a daughter of the race of Cain_

_I am not a stranger to the rain_

_Orphan in the storm_

_That's a role I've played before_

_I've learned not to tremble when I hear the thunder roar_

_I don't curse what I can't change_

_I just play the hand I'm dealt_

_When they lighten up the rations_

_I tighten up my belt_

_I won't say I've never felt the pain_

_But I am not a stranger to the rain_

_And for the boy who's given me the sweetest love I know_

_I wish for you another love so you won't be alone _

_Because I am bound to walk among the wounded and the stain_

_And when the storm comes crashing on the plain_

_I will dance before the lightning to music sacred and profane_

_Oh, shed no tears for me_

_Light no candle for my sake_

_This journey I'll be making _

_Is one we all must take_

_Shoulder to the wind_

_I'll turn my face into the spray_

_And when the heavens open_

_Let the drops fall where they may_

_If they finally wash away the stain_

_From a daughter of the race of Cain_

_I am not a stranger to the rain_

Kate didn't even notice she was crying. She looked up to see her husband beaming brightly at her.

"I love you, Katherine Castle!" he yelled.

She chuckled, "I love you too, Richard Castle."

* * *

It was three in the morning. The guests had all left, leaving Kate and Rick by themselves, still standing in the tent.

"This is not what I had ever thought of as my dream wedding, but this is so much better. Thank you for giving this to me," Kate said to her husband.

"Anything for you, Kate."

Her stomach growled. "Ugh, I'm hungry. I need to eat something healthy for the baby."

"Speaking of the baby, how far along are you? How long have you known?"

"I just found out a few days ago. And I don't really know how far along I am. I need to make a doctor's appointment. Will you accompany me?"

"Of course I will, Kate. That isn't even a question you should have to ask."

She smiled at her perfect husband.

He picked up his iPhone and ear buds from the table and plugged them in. He put one of the buds in his ear and gently pushed the other one into Kate's ear. He started the music and grabbed her to dance, hold, and kiss her once more.

A writer and his muse.

A husband and wife.

A mother and father.

Always.

* * *

**This chapter proved to be a difficult one, but I hope you guys like it. **

**The song Kate sang was called "Stranger to the Rain" from the musical "Children of Eden". Now you see where I got the title for this and the companion fic from? **

**I would like to thank everyone who has followed, favorited, or posted a review for this story. You all are the reason why I always stay up until four in the morning to write. I can write a damn good research paper or an essay, but I have never considered myself a good story writer. You all have helped me change my perspective. So thank you. **

**A HUGE thank you to my besties, Sheridan and Morgan. You guys love this story more than anyone and you helped me come up with countless ideas for it. You freak out over the newly posted chapters and you die when I send you spoilers or teasers. I love you two. I am the writer, and you are my muses.(;**

**My friends, this story is over. I love you all. Thank you once again. **

**Love, Rachel**


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